Chatter Boxes

Funny Boys

2012-01-09T08:36:00.000-06:00

A few funny things the boys have said lately...

1. My parents celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary shortly after Christmas. We had lunch together and gave them some cards. Seth thought Grandpa and Grandma should "get married again" and he wanted to be the preacher. Grandpa and Grandma did impromptu vows while Seth stood in front of them and handed them rings. He then turned to me and whispered, "Now what am I suppose to say?"

I whispered in his ear, "You may now kiss the bride." Seth turned to Grandpa and Grandma and said, "You may now kiss the surprise!"

I then whispered, "Now say, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Seth turned and said, "I now pronounce you husband and knife!

2. Grandma is still in town and as of last night, is staying with us. The boys are very excited to have her here. While Grandma was in the bathroom this morning, getting ready for the day, Colin sat on a chair in the playroom waiting for her to come out. When asked what he was doing he said, "I want to give Grandma a message from the Lord." I had thought I would redirect him to another activity, but who am I to interfere with the Lord's work. Grandma finished drying her hair and came out of the bathroom. I told her what Colin had said and we both eagerly awaiting the message.

Colin sat for a moment and then said, "horse mustard". We're not sure what it means but Grandma says she'll ponder it in her heart.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

We've enjoyed a blessed Christmas with our family. My parents flew in from Idaho and John's parents drove in from Oklahoma (and my sister made the 20 miles trek too!).

We kept with our tradition of Christmas Eve dinner at Kelly's house.

Colin is bewildered...not sure why

The "new pajamas" tradition continues. Remember this?

We then hosted the bunch at our house for Christmas morning (which we pretended was Monday...don't tell our children).

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care. Look at Seth's stocking (third from the left). That thing is loaded!

Reading "The Night Before Christmas"

Reading Luke Chapter two...and quizzing the boys on their nativity facts.

My parents brought these hats back from their trip to Turkey and Santa put fake mustaches in Colin's stocking. Hilarious!

Seth asked for "Car Controls" aka a Remote Control Car (among other things). He must have been very good because he got two of them!

Colin wanted a "Big Boy Bike"

We did not get a puppy! Molly belongs to John's parents.

My parents are still in town so we're enjoying some extended Grandparent time. We pray your Christmas was filled with blessings and that this new year brings many more.

Holiday Baking

2011-12-10T19:39:00.000-06:00

My sister and I spent the day baking what we call "Grandma's recipes". These treats are as much a part of our Christmas as carols, gifts, a lights on the tree.

We started this morning and are still going (just a few more loafs of pumpkin bread to go). We even skyp'ed my mother in on the fun.

The pictures are for my mom and grandma...the recipes are for everyone else.

Grandma bought all the women in the family matching aprons.

Popcorn Ball Production

Honey Cookie Production.
I promise Kelly didn't do all the work.

Peanut Brittle Production.
With coffee and a Diet Coke to sustain me.

Most of the Spoils

Great Great Grandma Weins' Honey Cookies

1 Quart of Honey
6 Eggs
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
2 Tbls Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Quarts (more or less) Flour

Cream eggs, sugar, and butter. Mix all dry ingredients. Blend the two, and drop by spoonful and press with the floured end of a glass. You can also roll the dough and use cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Do not over bake. When cool, frost or shake in a bag of powdered sugar.

Yields: A ton! After everyone snacked on a few we ended up with 7 dozen

Grandma Ratzloff's Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup
(Cook in Microwave for 4:20 on power level 7)
Add 1 Cup Salted Peanuts
(Cook in Microwave for 4:00 on power level 7)
Add 1 tsp Butter
Add 1 tsp Vanilla
(Cook in Microwave for 1:30 on power level 7)
Add 1 tsp Baking Soda
Stir quickly, but not too much. Pour quickly onto a buttered pan. Cool. Break into desired pieces.

Mom's Pumpkin Bread

3 Cups Sugar
3 1/2 Cups Flour
2/3 Cup Water
1 Cup Oil
4 Eggs
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 Can Pumpkin

Mix sugar, eggs, oil, water, and pumpkin. Mix all other dry ingredients. Blend the two at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed for 5 minutes. Divide batter into two large greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour, increasing temp to 350 for an additional 15 minutes. Can also be baked in 4 small loaf pans, but may need to adjust baking time.

Grandma Ratzloff's Popcorn Balls

Big Bowl of Popcorn
1 Cup Cream
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Karo Syrup
1/2 tsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbls Butter

Boil cream, sugar, syrup, and butter until a light brown color (about 5-8 minutes). Grandma drips some into a glass of water. If it forms a ball when dropped in the water...it's ready. Mix in vinegar and soda. Pour over popcorn and mix gently with a spoon. Form popcorn into balls as soon as it is cool enough to handle. It helps to add butter to your hands.

Yields: Around 20 - the size of a large apple

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T10:18:00.000-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving this year in Oklahoma with John's parents. As a special treat this time...my sister came with us.

They had flooding the day before we arrived. The water had receded but the river was still high. We spent a lot of time in wading boots.

Colin wanted his turn getting a piggy back ride.

John had the flu and spent a lot of time in bed but ventured out every now and then. Here he's saving Sheena from being swept away by the river.

Four-wheeler rides. Or as the boys call it riding the "four-leeler". This, and riding with Grandpa in the tractor, is the highlight of their trip.

Did I mention the rain? It left behind a lot of mud. I didn't anticipate the need for Colin to have three outfits a day. Besides, doesn't everyone have underwear hanging in the corner during Thanksgiving dinner?

With no tv, cellphones, or internet there's lots of time for card games...

and coloring with cousins (John's brother and family stopped by for dessert on Thanksgiving day).

Feast preparations

Pie with Grandpa

Coloring with Mommy

A cow picture for Becky (Kelly's friend who really likes cows.) :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Time to Go to the Dentist

2011-11-18T22:04:00.000-06:00

We've spent a lot of time at the dentist in the last two years (see here). We're lucky to have found one that the boys like. It's just for kids. They have Wii games in the waiting room, cartoons playing on the ceiling of each exam room, and gold tokens you can earn to spend on treasures when you're done.

We were there today for 6-month check-ups. All is well. Both Seth and Colin are in the "zero cavity club".

Questions from Seth

2011-11-17T22:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to a new feature on this little ol' blog of mine. You see, I'm in need of some help. Our oldest is a thinker. His mind is running all the time. He asks questions all day every day. Most of the time I can provide an answer (and a reminder that I've already answered that question three times today). But then there are questions that I can't answer. I can't even guess what kind of information he's looking for.

I know how this happens. He thinks about things silently and when his thought gets stuck, he then asks me. The problem is that there isn't any context, like hearing only the punch line of a joke and not the joke itself. I've tried to pry for more information but he gets frustrated by my inability to read his mind. I want to help because often the questions seem meaningful. So, I'm turning to you for help. Feel free to answer in the comments. We could stumble across the meaning of life here folks.

Today's Question: "Is it for all of it or just a couple?"

Fire away but don't ask me to clarify or provide more information. I asked for it but Seth said, "Mommy, that's it, that's all I want to know." Anybody? Anybody?

Happy Anniversary

2011-11-04T22:38:00.000-05:00

Today is our wedding anniversary. We didn't make any big plans since we celebrated early with a trip for two. I did add a few fancy touches to our dinner tonight. White table cloth (that now has two orange juice spills), candlelight (we managed not to burn the house down), and clip-on ties for the boys.

So fancy!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:00:00.001-05:00

Another Halloween is in the books. We capitalized on the cowboy outfits the boys got for their birthday. That's why these pictures will look so familiar. John and I joined in the fun so we could stop at Chipotle for $2 burritos (they gave customers $2 burritos for costumes that were farm related).

Waiting in line for our burritos.

Seth's first "BIG" burrito. He ate the entire thing!

This is not his first BIG burrito

We trick-or-treated in Aunt Kelly's neighborhood since we don't really have one of our own. She dressed up like a domino with the other teacher's at her school.

The farmer, his wife, and their little farmhands.

Last year we stuck to just a couple houses (one of them being grandparents). This year we ventured out a bit and did an entire street in my sister's neighborhood. The boys had a great time. Colin was, as usual, very chatty. He wanted to hang out and visit with each person that came to the door and then he'd leave with a hearty "buh-bye" as he walked away. Seth tipped his hat, just like a proper cowboy, to two girls who came in the restuarant as we were leaving. They giggled and Seth looked up at me, as proud as could be. I think we might be in trouble in a few years if he keeps that up.

Weekend in Oklahoma

2011-10-06T22:00:00.004-05:00

We just returned from a weekend in Oklahoma visiting John's parents. The boys rode four-wheelers, helped Grandpa feed cows, and attempted to fish. They "attempt" every time we go but no luck yet on catching anything. They are very noisy and cause commotion wherever they go so it may be awhile until they catch anything. Which is probably good because when Grandpa caught one while they stood by watching...they both screamed and ran away. I imagine we'd lose two perfectly good fishing poles and possibly need to rescue two screaming toddlers from the pond if a fish actually bit their bait.

The Grandparents kept us quite busy during our visit. Usually trips to Nashoba are very relaxing, slow-paced. A wonderful retreat from our regular hustle and bustle. But apparently the last weekend in September is filled with loads of activities in the Nashoba Valley. Friday we spent the day at The Big Foot Festival (you heard me correctly). We toured booths of local artists and I had my first iconic fair food - Deep Fried Oreos. I can now say I've done it...and will likely not do it again. After a quick nap at home, we headed "into town" for a pie auction at the school. John get to see a few friends he grew up with and I got to meet more relatives. Saturday night we went to the dirt track races and cheered for "the orange car" - which was Colin's favorite...not sure why. Sunday afternoon we stayed after church for the all church pot-luck. Normally I leave well-rested and refreshed after a weekend by the pond but this action-packed weekend left me feeling a little weary for the drive home. It was all fun, just different than our normal lazy-days in Nashoba.

John and I worked on the cabin, putting some finishing touches here and there. I cleaned out an upstairs bedroom that has been used for storage up to this point. I was proud of how it turned out. I didn't take a before picture but here's an after picture John took (ignore the baseball pillowcases sitting on the ledge...they came home with us). The cabin has always been comfortable and cozy but with two growing boys it's nice to have a bit more room for them to play and sleep (they camped out in the living room before).

Upstairs bedroom that would impress you more if you saw how it looked before. The are a few holes to patch (where the hanging newspaper is now) but otherwise it's ready to go.

Grandpa...how do I work this thing?

He makes it appear as if he knows what he's doing.

John spent a lot of time untangling fishing line that the boys tangled up. Ironically...this tangle was actually his own doing.

The spoils. John caught a 4 lb bass. The boys squealed with this one too.

Always a good time.

Cider Fest 2011

2011-10-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

We trekked out last weekend for the annual Cider Fest in a nearby town. It's a chance to eat cider donuts until we're sick. I do believe this is the first time the boys have had donuts of any kind. I know...we're mean parents.

Heather joined us for the fun...just like old times.

I think it was at this point that the sugar hit his bloodstream

And Colin's likely in a sugar coma here.

We took no less then 20 pictures to get this one family picture.

We had to walk past the "wastewater pond" to get back to our car. It was very stinky.

As usual, most photo credit goes to someone else. Thanks Heather for joining us and sharing your pictures.

Go Royals

2011-09-23T22:35:00.003-05:00

It's the end of the baseball season here in KC. The boys have enjoyed being able to go to a few games this season. Here are a few pics from the summer.

An afternoon game with just Seth and Mommy

An evening game with Grandma and Grandpa

Homerun! Colin likes going to the games but doesn't appreciate the loud cheering. Homeruns with booming fireworks added to the cheering crowd caused Colin to bury his head under my arm. But finally, during the last game of the season (for us) Colin decided to join in on the fun. The Royals got a homerun and Colin - on his own - jumped up and yelled "HOMERUN!"

If I Tweeted...

2011-09-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

I can live without pumpkin spice lattes. It's not right how happy I am that I don't have to.

The Sunsets on Sanibel

2011-09-16T21:12:00.003-05:00

Various sunset pictures from the week (don't come here looking for sunrise pictures...no way...no how!)

A storm across the harbor

I love this one!

Some Time Away

2011-09-15T16:40:00.004-05:00

A few days after the boy's birthday extravaganza...John and I scurried off for some time away.

Some much needed restful, rejuvenating, romantic time away. We spent a week in beautiful Sanibel Island, Florida to celebrate our anniversary. I slept in, read two books front to back and didn't have to take anyone to the bathroom. John read his Kindle for days on end, rode a bike all over the island and didn't have to take anyone to the bathroom.

We rode bikes to the beach, to go shopping and to get ice cream

The lighthouse behind us sits on the tip of the island

Sanibel is known for the abundance of sea shells. That's a blanket of shells behind my feet. At first you try hard to walk around them so you don't break any, but by the end of the week you just crunch along in your bare feet.

The boardwalk from our hotel at sunset

The view from our room

We took a sunset dolphin cruise on our last night there. Dolphins are hard to photograph but I managed to snag this picture, which in no way illustrates how cool it is to see a dolphin in the ocean (and not at the local aquarium).

A romantic sunset cruise with 35 other people we don't know

We had a wonderful time. A big thank you to my mom for watching the boys, almost entirely by herself. When we booked our trip, the idea was that the boys would be able to stay with my parents - both of them. Dad has already made the big move to Idaho so my mom took on the task of watching the boys by herself (with help from Grandpa over the weekend). Not only did she watch our squirrely bunch but we came home to a clean house, empty dishwasher, fresh towels and sheets! That woman is a gem! (Completely useless little side note - I discovered tonight when I crawled into bed that her sleep number is a firm 100 while mine is a fluffy 55.)

We're home safe and sound and getting acclimated to our real-world responsibilities. I may have to carry my beach bag around for a few days to help with the adjustment.

A Dream Fulfilled

2011-09-13T16:00:00.003-05:00

This story starts two years ago on a hot August night. John and I went with our friends Chad and Katie to the JoCo Fair. I don't remember having ever gone to a county fair before. We ate fair food, looked at livestock, and sat in the stands to watch the pedal pull (little kids driving tricycle tractors as far as they could), and mutton bustin' (little kids riding ~~ferocious barreling beasts of death and destruction~~ sheep).

John and I were smack dab in the middle of the adoption process. We knew we were adopting Seth and Colin at that point and everything we did we imagined what it would be like with them there. I could tell John was watching the activities of that fair and imagined our boys right there. We joked about how I'd never let them bust a mutton (seriously...have you ever seen it? Go here for a glimpse. Not my child...not ever).

It just so happened that while we sat watching toddlers be trampled by ~~ferocious barreling beasts of death and destruction~~ sheep, my phone buzzed with an email from our adoption agency. It was an update on the boys with new pictures (we clung to those emails for dear life then.)

It took almost an hour to download the new pictures, but sitting in the stands watching toddlers get trampled was the first time we saw Seth's smile.

Remember these....

Fast forward two years...It's another hot August night. Chad and Katie are there with us...all four of us. We're perched in the stands at the JoCo Fair. Seth is registered for the pedal pull. He waited in line and carefully studied the kids who went before him. He's a fierce competitor...hates to lose, but has never seen anything like this before, let alone practiced. He took his turn and pushed that tractor farther than anyone else so far. Katie and I cheered like crazy stage moms.

He ended up in second place out of 40 pullers in his age group and took home a giant red ribbon. And I think he had fun. He was confused by our enthusiasm over something that to him wasn't that big of a deal. To us though...it felt fulfilling.

There are no pictures of him mutton bustin'. Not my child...not ever!

Thanks again to Katie for the pictures.

Ride 'Em

2011-09-09T15:49:00.007-05:00

We all love spending time with our friend Katie and her fancy camera. She took these pictures during the birthday party. John built this roping game for the kids to play.

Stay tuned for her action shots of Seth at the JoCo Fair. Without Katie we'd have very few pictures of all the fun stuff we do.

Giddy Up Cowboys (and Girls)!

2011-09-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

We celebrated the boys' birthday this weekend. Seth is now 5 and Colin is 3 (or free if you listen to him). It was a cowboy birthday complete with authentic apparel. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate.

This was on their actual birthday (Friday). We had a birthday dinner...menu chosen by the boys - pizza and yogurt, and opened presents.

"Real" cowboy clothes!

Apparently the sunglasses bring out their inner gangsta. They did this pose completely on their own. Seth has asked for sunglasses for his birthday since...well, his last birthday. I love that at least for now, his gift requests are simple pleasures.

The Spread... BBQ of course

~~The Peanut Gallery~~ Our dear friends

Pete treated the kids to "pony" rides (Pete's the horse...not the husband)

A true friend is one who lets you lasso him

Cowboy Cuteness

I stole this picture from Amber. It proves I own boots of my own. And aren't those sisters cute?

Thanks Grandma for matching the party theme! Isn't she pretty?!

It's rare to get a genuine smile from Colin when there's a camera around. I have a feeling this one was courtesy of some tickling.

It was a fun day spent with good friends and family. I, like most moms, get teary on
this day thinking of what a gift my children are to me. It's fun to make them feel special with balloons and presents and copious amounts of sugar. But more than any of that I feel like the recipient of the best gift of all...getting to mother these boys through another year of life.

Happy Birthday Boys! We love you!

Here's the look-back on last year for those who like that sort of thing.

Most of the picture credit goes to Katie. Thanks for sharing.

Rules of the House

2011-08-30T12:11:00.000-05:00

This morning, the boys and I went to the grocery store. We're gearing up for a birthday party this weekend so we stopped by the store to stock up on party supplies.

I loaded our purchases into the car, Seth got in his seat and Colin and I left to put the cart away. I lifted Colin out of the cart and threw him over my shoulder like a sack of...flour...feed...something (let's be honest - I don't throw sacks of anything over my shoulder but you get the idea).

I opened the car door and said to Seth, "Look what I found! I found a cute little boy! I think we should bring him home with us."

Seth said, "Yea we should. And we'll call him Colin."

Colin giggled at our story. I then said, "Now Colin, there are a few rules you'll need to follow if you come to live with us. Seth, can you tell Colin the rules?"

I was curious what Seth would say so I let him take it from there.

"Colin," he said, "there are three rules and they are very important. Number one, don't stomp on the floor. Number two, do what mommy and daddy ask. And number three, don't make mommy crazy!"

Amen to that!

So far Colin seems to like it here. I think we'll keep him.

Little Baby Colin - an old picture from my phone

Star Chart Reward Fulfilled!

2011-08-29T09:35:00.001-05:00

"I wanna ride the zeeeeebra!"

Very excited about riding on the "2nd floor" of the carousel!

This is the "fun thing" the boys earned for making good choices this week.

This Week at the "Farmpark"

2011-08-26T09:34:00.000-05:00

We arrived at Deanna Rose in time to help feed Annabelle.

Colin feeding the "little" goats. I wish I had taken video of him feeding the "big" goats later that morning. It was more like a game of tag where Colin was "it". He ran around the pen with one piece of food yelling, "ok, ok, ok, ok" really fast.

Our "country kids" are often more fascinated by fake animals than of real ones.

For Posterity

2011-08-24T23:28:00.001-05:00

I read lots of blogs (I'm a much better reader than poster) and every mom blog I read has at last one post of funny things their kids have said. Almost always I read it thinking, that probably would have been funny if I was there or I knew the personalities of their kids better (I'm weird - I read mom blogs of people I don't know).

But here's the deal. Kids are funny. My kids are funny. I end up repeating funny things they've said to people that are close to us, so why not document them here for posterity and for the grandparents.

There have been several so this comes to you in the form of a list:

1. All four of us were driving home from dinner with friends. We were on the highway and Seth, from the backseat says, "Daddy, kiss mommy on the lips." We remind him that we're driving on "the fast road" and can't do it now because it's not safe. When we pulled up the off-ramp and stopped at the stop sign, Seth made his request again. I leaned over to John with my lips pursed. John leans in and as soon as our lips make contact Seth yells, "Now, stay on it!"

2. The boys and I were having lunch with my parents. Colin was getting inpatient with how long it was taking everyone to load their plates with food. I told Colin, "hold your horses". He got this look of concern on his face and after a while said, "Mommy, what I 'sposed to do wit da horses?"

3. The four of us were playing at a nearby park. Colin fell asleep in the car on the way so he was a bit out of sorts when we arrived. Seth was taking Colin's disinterest as a sure indication that Colin didn't love him. As I rocked Colin, I informed Seth that Colin is at an age where his actions may not match how he actually feels about us. I said, "Colin loves us all very much but he's at that age when he can be a little bit testy with us." Colin nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah Seth, I'm testy." After we had played for a bit, it was time to head home. Colin ran over from the slide and said, "Mommy can you carry me to the car, I'm testy." I carried him.

4. Colin and I were playing in the play room yesterday and he leaned over and said "Mommy, you're the best mommy but only in town." I hope he meant "your the best mommy in town" but I'll take it.

5. Several months ago on a Sunday morning, I went upstairs to help get the boys ready for church. I was dressed and ready. Usually I get everyone else ready first so they aren't used to seeing me "done up" at that point in the getting-ready process. I got to the top of the stairs and Colin said, "Mommy you look...married!" Again, I hope he meant "pretty" because the other way makes it sound like I've let myself go now that I'm snagged a man.

6. With my parents upcoming move (oh yeah - by the way - my parents are moving to Idaho), we've inherited a lot of the toys and videos (yes, on actual video tape). We watched The Lion King but had to fastforward through the scary parts (there are more than I remember). The next day Colin wanted to watch it again but I said no. He said, "but mommy, the lions are not scared of me". I think he meant he wasn't scared of the lions but it wouldn't be funny if he said it correctly.

7. Colin has figured out that we often say no to the requests that he makes (we try to say yes as much as possible but his requests are lofty). He recently came in my room and said, "Mommy, I wanna talk to you...don't say no...can I go to a ferris wheel?"

We visited our local children's museum
and the boys pretended to be doctors (aren't those costumes adorable?)
I'm not dead. They told me to be "sick and go to sleep".
That's what I look like when I am sick and I go to bed

These pictures have nothing to do with this post but I don't like posting without pictures.

So there you have it...the post for posterity and my parents.

The Star Chart

2011-08-21T23:27:00.000-05:00

One of phrases heard frequently around our house is "if you make good choices you get to do fun things".

We're teaching that idea early in this house while the consequences are small. I'm sure to the boys, missing out on an activity may seem like the worse thing...it's better than jail time or being fired from a job.

Here's how...

The Star Chart

It's simple really, at the end of the day we talk through the three "good choices" the boys can make during the day. They get a star for a choice well made. When they fill up the chart, they get the "fun thing" at the end. For this one (this picture was taken months ago when both boys were still in preschool) it was have lunch with daddy (it's an amazing resemblence huh? I drew it myself!)

Seth's good choices on this chart are 1) Have a "good day" at school or at home - which means no screaming trantrums 2) Do what mommy and daddy ask - the first time 3) Keeping his pants dry all the way to bedtime. Colin's are 1) Using his inside voice (this is always the hardest stars for him to get) 2) Do what mommy and daddy ask 3) Eating a meal in less than 30 minutes.

It's not a perfect system. The chart doesn't always fill up and sometimes we miss out on the fun things. Here's a tip though. Make sure the "fun thing" isn't something that would be too devastating to miss or that other people are relying on.

Here are a few "fun things" we've put on the chart so far:
- Ride Pete (our horse...they were supervised closely and wore helmets)
- Have brown milk at dinner (that's chocolate milk for you fluent English speakers)
- Get balloons (this one was Colin's idea and it was actually one of my favorites. We filled up the playroom with balloons. It was so fun!)

- Go to McDonalds (This one has made the list several times. They play and I get a diet coke. Everyone wins!)
- Go on a bike ride with daddy

- Go to a puppet show (Our church does several a year.)
- Have yogurt, cereal, and honey (Aunt Kelly ate this once at our house and the boys wanted to put it on their chart. Alrighty!)
- Visit the fish at Bass Pro Shop (It's free and the boys love riding the see-through elevator)
- Ride on a Carousel ($2 at the mall)
- Stay up 30 minutes past bedtime (Seth's idea)
- Ride in the car-cart at the grocery store (I hate that thing but the boys love it...it's definitely a special treat.)

The weeks with the most success are the ones where the boys chose the "fun thing". They come up with some fun ideas, that are usually a lot easier for us to fulfill than the ones we come up with.

It's made my job of encouraging good behavior much easier. All I say now is "do you want to get your star today?" Sometimes they choose to proceed down the path of destruction but more times than not they decide to turn from their wicked ways. :)

Ch...Ch...Changes - Again

2011-06-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

There have been some changes happening around here. As of this week, I'm home full-time with the boys. I've left the world of hospital social work and have embarked on a much bigger challenge.

It's day 4 and...well...it's been rough. I'm not gonna lie. Now, the boys and I have done some fun things but even with the fun, there are adjustments to be made and change doesn't always come easy.

The boys are testing their boundaries to see if the previous rules still apply (they do) and I'm reminding myself that this is normal with a change in routine and it won't last forever (at least to this degree).

We know that ultimately this is what is best for our kids and we'll power through these initial challenges.

For now though, let's just pretend that all is peachy and focus on the fun.

Tuesday morning (bright and early in order to beat the crowd) the boys and I picked blueberries at a local u-pick place . Since then we've made blueberry cobbler, blueberry muffins, and John made us blueberry waffles on Wednesday morning.

I'm sure there will be many more fun-filled days ahead. I'm sure there will be many more fun-filled days ahead. I'm sure there will be many more fun-filled days ahead. Yes...I know I said it three times. It's a mantra of sorts.

Send good thoughts our way. And you KC moms...I'll take any tips on local free fun, learning, energy burning, etc.

The Walk

2011-05-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

Our little family of four participated in a walk to benefit childhood cancer research a couple weeks ago. We started the walk near the back of the pack and Seth couldn't figure out how in the world we were going to win if we didn't run (to him walk = race). He and John picked up the pace (and took a major shortcut). I however would like credit for walking the entire course while pushing a nearly - 40 pound child.

This was the first annual walk and turned out to be quite successful. Over $100,000 was raised just in KC. It was a beautiful morning spent for a good cause.

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

"Cheese"

Easter Monkeys

The Loot
(Alternate Title: The Foot)

"Mommy! I found one! I can't reach it."

For those that like to compare, here's Easter 2010.

March Madness

2011-03-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

What? You don't watch basketball this way?

The Garden - It Begins

2011-03-23T19:16:00.001-05:00

We've embarked upon Garden Season 2011. We always start out very ambitious, dreaming of luscious rows of veggies. Last year we pared down and only did a few basics. Only the tomato and cucumber survived to give us a tiny little harvest.

We're getting bigger this year. Or so we hope.

The plan:
Cherry Tomatoes - we have a fairly good track record with these. Not many made it into the house last year because Colin would make a beeline for the ripe red ones and before I could get to him, into his mouth they would go. He's promised to leave us some this year.
Cucumber - another winner. We had fewer last year than the year before but we're good for at least a few (dozen).
Lettuce - not a winner but we keep trying. We can get it to grow but it always tastes bitter and we don't eat it.
Spinach - a new entry this year. I have no expectations so I won't be disappointed if it doesn't work.
Okra - another new try. I hate it. John likes it.
Summer Squash - I can't remember if we've tried this one before. I think I would remember if we had been successful. We discovered last summer that both the boys love squash (I hate it).
Green and Red Peppers - We had good success a couple years ago. They never made it past the sprout stage last year.
Corn - I've given up on this one but John continues to try it year after year. This year he's planted 3 or 4 varieties.

Casaba Melon - This one is a long shot. We saved some seed from a melon we got in our CSA bag last summer. It was locally grown so we know it's possible. We'll see if it's possible for us.
Asparagus - new this year. The package is still sitting on our kitchen counter.

Seed starts in the kitchen window

Cucumber sprouts

So there you have it. Depending on how well things go - I may become that crazy lady at church who brings sacks full of tomatoes and makes people take them home.

If I Tweeted

2011-03-21T13:31:00.003-05:00

On the left side of my desk is a candy bar (a gift from a co-worker). On the right side of my desk is a tangarine (I brought it from home). They're deep in battle for my affections.

Pictures from the Park

2011-03-17T13:39:00.001-05:00

Chad and Katie watched the boys last weekend while we attended a wedding. Katie brought her fancy camera and took pictures.

Colin - Super Size

This picture perfectly captures Seth's personality

Thanks Chad and Katie for such a good time and for sharing your pictures.

Random Musings - In a List

2011-03-04T16:32:00.000-06:00

1. The other night, Seth asked me what I was fixing for dinner. I told him we were having chicken enchiladas. He pumped his fist in the air and said, "That's what I'm talkin' about" and walked away.

2. I've been "meal-planning" for a month and a half now and it has changed my life.  The mid-week grocery runs were sucking the life right out of me. Now, I write out a menu for the 5-day work week and make my grocery list to match. We've saved time and money and we can jump right into making dinner as soon as we get home. It makes me more giddy than it should.

3.  Recently I asked Seth if he knew how to spell his name. He said, "Yes...S-E-T-H-L-and a dot".

4. We had a thunderstorm last Sunday that knocked our power out. It was around bedtime so when the lights went out, it was completely dark. You know how it gets really quiet when the hum of various appliances stops? I knew the boys would be scared but luckily I was upstairs with them when it happened. I just calmly said, "okay boys, the lights are broken but every thing's going to be just fine. Mommy's right here and I'm going to come find you (they were really only a few feet away but in opposite directions). I felt Seth's hand first and told him to hold onto my pants. He whimpered a bit and then followed me to find Colin. We're in the throws of potty-training (Lord help us!) so I knew Colin was somewhere near the bathroom. I also knew he had no clothes on and could potentially be...eh...messy. I found him after just a few moments and was happy to discover that he was clean and dry (although that meant his time on the pot was unsuccessful). John was out in the garage when it happened so the three of us just huddled up and waited for John to come inside to help. Seth kept a death-grip on my neck and Colin, in all his glory, sat down and sucked his thumb. John made it in and gathered flashlights and candles.

We think our transformer was struck by lightening but the utility company came out and fixed us right up. The boys got to watch the utility truck with their flashing lights . When our lights came back on the boys waved out the window and Colin said, "Tank you re-pay man" (Translation: Thank you repair man).

At daycare the next day, Seth's class was learning about the tundra. The teachers asked them "What are some things we can do to help save the tundra?" Seth said, "Fix the lights".

5. We have one more night of itty-bitty-basketball. Seth has spent 4 weeks learning the "fundamentals" and next Monday night they play their one and only game. I have a strange feeling that the 4 weeks of fundamentals aren't going to make any difference. It will however, be entertaining.

6. Recently, we've seen various people (all from different parts of our lives - work, church, etc) struggle in their marriage. It's heart-wrenching and complicated and easy to judge.  This is really just for my benefit and his - but this guy...

I love him. He's all mine.

Oh The Snow

2011-02-19T21:15:00.001-06:00

I'm over the snow. Seth is too. Grandpa told him that there wouldn't be any baseball games until after the snow was all gone. He gets upset every time the snow begins to fall. I do too but for different reasons.

We had two "snow days" a couple weeks ago which kept us all cooped up with no where to go. Seth went outside with John to finish a snow fort they started during the last snowstorm. Colin still ~~had~~ has a runny nose he got in October (yes - October!) so I didn't want him outside in the elements. I had to keep him distracted so he wouldn't notice that all the other boys were outside frolicking.

For Jenny...

2011-02-15T14:55:00.013-06:00

The Song: Everybody

While I was visiting Jenny in Switzerland we made two CD's to take on our road trip through the mountains. One playlist from my music and one from Jenny's. This is from Jenny's list and the boys love it!

This is a favorite sing-a-long song in the car. The boys call it the "Ooo Ooo" song. Their other favorite sing-a-long song is the "Ha Ha" song (translated: Rawhide ). This one did not come from Jenny's playlist. I'll give you one guess as to where it came from.

One Smart Cookie

2011-02-11T09:36:00.002-06:00

The drive from daycare to our house every evening is full of interesting conversations about what we learned, what we ate, or whether we slept during naptime. I ask a lot of questions to keep the conversation going. This has become one of my favorite kid stories (you've probably heard me tell it).

Seth: Mommy, when I five, I go to new school?

Me: Well Seth, you'll go to a new school when you start Kindergarten.

Seth: Mommy, when I go to High School?

Me: You'll go to Elementary School first, then Middle School, then High School, then College. (I figured I'd just cut to the chase and get them all listed). After College you get to choose whether you go to more school or get a job.

Seth: I get a job.

Me: Okay. What kind of job would you like to have?

Seth: I be a football player.

Me: Okay. Colin, what kind of job do you want to have?

Colin: I be pilot. Go on airplane.

Seth: Mommy? What we having for dinner? I gonna need double to be big and strong football player.

Me: What you need to do is drink all your milk. Big and strong football players drink their milk (I don't know that to be true but I'll play any angle to get that kid to drink his milk)

Seth: Okay. I want milk for dinner. I be big and strong.

Pause while mommy pretends to pat herself on the back for another successful manipulation of her children.

Colin: I be pilot. I want apple juice.

Later that weekend the boys stayed with my parents for a couple of days. My dad told us Seth was renegotiating most of the weekend, trying to figure out what sport he could play that would allow him to drink apple juice. Grandpa stuck with the milk conspiracy though. And if Seth asks you, I expect you to stick with the plan. Colin on the other hand - has us all figured out.

Colin pretending to drive Grandpa's farm truck. It has nothing to do with the story - except for that look that says, "I'm one smart cookie!"

The New Digs

2011-02-10T18:17:00.005-06:00

No...No...No...DON'T GO!

You're in the right place. We're just new and improved (and hopefully we'll be a bit more punctual!)

See? There's an update below and a few cute pictures.

You might notice a few changes.

1. The Look - It's calmer. I like it. I can't, however, figure out how to get rid of the "links to nowhere" at the top. Someone smarter will have to tell me how to do it. (Updated to Add: You can no longer find the "links to nowhere" at the top. My ~~very own in-house computer nerd~~ genius husband fixed it.)

2. The Title - When I started this blog I was just one chatter box. Now, there are many. Seriously - you should hear the chatter going on right now. Me and Sheena - we're the only quiet ones.

3. The Labels - Me and my mother are the only one's who might care. We both feel better when things are organized. Now she can peruse all the posts about her grandkids without muddling through the other dribble.

4. The Links - There are some new ones.

So here we are. More appropriately labeled and organized. I'll try to make it last.

One Year - A Comparison

2011-02-10T16:01:00.001-06:00

Here was Seth on Superbowl Sunday 2010.

And here he is on Superbowl Sunday 2011.

Same living room...Same tv tray...one rapidly growing child!

Here We Go...Again

2011-02-07T19:27:00.015-06:00

I know! I know! No excuses - it's just pitiful.

I've done some fun stuff since I wrote last though.

1. I went to Switzerland (I KNOW! If that doesn't warrant a blog post - I don't know what does!)

I went to visit friends and revisit a place I called home for awhile. More dedicated bloggers wrote about it here and here and here (this one is really just about the cans of pumpkin I brought with me, which was almost as important as me being there myself).

2. We celebrated Christmas

We spent Christmas in Oklahoma with John's parents.

The boys' first Christmas was as magical as you would imagine. I wasn't sure how much they would understand but they caught on just fine. We celebrated Jesus and Santa and the giving of gifts.

3. We celebrated our 1 year family-versary!

We celebrated with a traditional Ethiopian dinner at a local restaurant. John was giving instructions to everyone about how to eat it and we looked over to find Seth digging in - no instruction needed. Colin wasn't nearly as concerned as he appears to be in the picture. He too jumped in and gobbled it right up.

I made books for each of the boys with pictures and stories from when we became a family. Actually, someone else made the books, I just added pictures and captions. They are beautiful - and someday I might actually let the boys have them. :)

So you see, we're still here. Everyone is doing well.

I'll try to do better next time.

Brothers

2010-10-27T20:51:00.017-05:00

There are a lot of decisions to make when becoming new parents. Some of our decisions were much like everyone else. What names do we like? What colors should we choose for the nursery? Cloth diapers or disposable? (Cloth by the way - just in case you wondered).

But there were some decisions that were unique to our situation. What country do we choose? Do we want a boy or a girl? Do we want an infant? I have to say that there's one decision I feel so lucky to have made. The blessing of choosing siblings.

There is no doubt that that choice was the right one. We checked the sibling box with a certain amount of faith that we would know what in the world we were doing. For the most part we've managed and for the rest - well, God is good to provide and grandparents are awesome!

And here's some free advice (I just can't help myself). If ever you encounter an adoptive family with more than one child and you absolutely have to know who is biologically related and who isn't (which I think is weird but that's another post for another day) - please don't ask if they are "real brothers". It confuses small children who believe themselves and their family members to be real - not fake.

Brothers - no doubt - they are!

Ethiopia - Likely April 2009

Kansas City - January 1, 2010

Home - January 2010

Playground - March 2010

Home - May 2010

Home - June 2010

Home - August 2010

Home - September 2010

Nashoba - October 2010

Halloween - October 2010

(After face painting and bounce house jumping)

Big Balloons

2010-09-20T11:29:00.008-05:00

We got to hang out this weekend with some friends and some big balloons. There was a hot air balloon festival in town. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but it was really cool. We sat close to the "launch" zone. The balloons aired up before our eyes and launched right over our heads.

The boys were fascinated for a bit and then got busy rough-housing with other little boys - Levi, Daniel, and Micah. Miles and Dariah stayed nice and safe on the sidelines.

Most pictures courtesy of "Auntie Heather". Some I think I stole from Amber. Credit acknowledged - now onto the pics.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2010-09-03T14:38:00.010-05:00

Yesterday was a very special day at our house. Two little boys had a birthday and we celebrated in style. We kept it simple and planned a family whiffle ball game. Despite the severe thunderstorm that started just about the time the party did...we all had a great time.

The boys loved helping with all the preparations and Seth got the only thing he asked for for his birthday. He wanted "someone to throw a ball to me and I hit it." Done!

The weather cleared up enough to at least have some whiffle ball batting practice (the baseball diamond John mowed into our front field was too wet for a full game).

Happy 4th Birthday Seth! Happy 2nd Birthday Colin!

Reunited

2010-08-31T11:40:00.003-05:00

John arrived home yesterday after being out of the country for a little over a week. The boys and I did great while he was gone but we are so happy to have him home.

Daddy surprised the boys by picking them up from daycare (usually mommy does it) and we all went out for half-price burgers.

This little boy couldn't be happier...

Welcome home daddy!

I Knew This Was Coming...

2010-08-28T15:20:00.003-05:00

So far he's just commenced to playing upon his exit. I guess we know what we're doing over Labor Day weekend...bed shopping!!

It's actually a good thing. I'm tired of looking at that missing crib skirt. My entire male audience is asking themselves, "Cribs wear skirts?" Yes gentlemen. At least ours did.

Several months before the boys came home, my mom and I carried fabric swatches (little scraps of fabric) around looking for just the right coordinating pattern. We toiled over measurements and made a beautiful crib skirt making it appear as if we bought matching bedding for the nursery.

It took about a month for the boys to rip it down while playing hide and seek. It's become one of their favorite hiding places (second only to hiding behind the door). I've put it back up more times than I care to admit. I've given up.

And just in time too - big boy bed - here we come!

Visiting Clifford

2010-08-15T19:19:00.009-05:00

A few weekends ago the boys and I spent the day with our friend Heather. We went to see Clifford. It's a favorite show around here and going to see Clifford was a big treat for Seth (he could go if he rested during nap time for one full week).

Here are a few pictures of the event.

Colin gave this little girl a flower.

Then he smacked Emily Elizabeth in the face.

Thanks Heather for the pictures and for spending the day with us while daddy was away.

Taking a Break

2010-08-15T18:56:00.004-05:00

John has a couple trips planned this month. One for fun and one for work. I needed a break from being a mommy for a bit. It took 14 emails and 3 babysitters to get one night to ourselves. It was well worth it.

Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Robinson, Aunt Kelly, and our pastor's daughter for watching the boys. They had fun playing, swimming, and watching movies.

John and I hung out in a quaint little town nearby. We ate at restraunt that required a reservation, slept in the next morning and went to the WWI museum (something John's wanted to do for a long time). My dad let us borrow his cute little convertible.

A view of our fair city from the top of the liberty memorial.

Nap Time Circus Act

2010-07-30T21:25:00.004-05:00

Every day when we pick the boys up from daycare, we get a "day sheet" with useful information like what subject they're learning, how much of their lunch they ate, etc.

Seth's teachers mentioned in passing conversation that they've been having "a little trouble" at nap time lately. I didn't know how much trouble until I picked up today's day sheet.

Apparently, he likes to take his shoes and socks off and jump on the cot like a trampoline. I may not have given this boy life but we share this common trait. I also got in trouble as a preschooler for causing a rucus during nap time. I don't think I did any trampoline tricks but I did twist the arm of the boy laying next to me because he wouldn't participate in my nap time antics.

Seth is so full of energy (not a trait he shares with me) that the transition between awake and asleep can be a challenge...for everyone.

Oh and just for the record, his "level of participation" is always "3-active"...always!

Life in the Country - Play Time

2010-07-29T18:57:00.006-05:00

I found a toy wheel barrel at a thrift store and just knew the boys would put it to good use. Today they used it to collect the apples that have fallen off our tree. Pardon the play clothes - it was Colin's 5th outfit of the day and I lost motivation to match. And I don't know why Seth insists on sticking his tongue out whenever I ask him to smile for the camera.

Pictures in my Head

2010-07-11T21:58:00.008-05:00

Before the boys came home, I would try to picture them as part of our family. What would it be like to have two little people running around our house? Or how would they look sitting on my dad's lap at a baseball game?

The picture below is one of the images I pictured in my head...almost exactly.

This is my grandmother, minutes after meeting my children.

Here are a few more pictures from our trip. A big thank you to Aunt Kelly who came along for the ride. I wouldn't have survived without her help and I wouldn't have any pictures to share with you.

There are certain things that are only allowed at Grandma's house...playing drums with spoons and the dining room table is one of those things. (That's a Spiderman band aid on Colin's forehead...he tumbled with a ceramic cat.)

I have no idea how to explain this picture. There are so many layers to this pictorial onion. My family will appreciate it and will need no explanation so the rest of you will just have to make up your own caption.

The fun wore us right out...

...all of us!

Thanks to everyone who made this trip a special one for...well, me mostly. It was important to me that great grandma could meet the boys. And she, in true form, made the trip a memorable one for them. It will take me weeks to undo the spoiling that took place. It's okay though...that's what I remember most about her house. We got to do things and eat things we couldn't do anywhere else. She has a gift of making her family feel special and loved.

Video for my Mom

2010-06-26T17:53:00.003-05:00

Hi mom! Here's the video we tried to send. Maybe this will work.

For everyone else - me, my sister, and the boys are visiting my Grandma in California. We're sending this video to my mom who isn't here with us.

We love you and wish you were here.

Oak-a-Homa

2010-06-15T08:20:00.005-05:00

We spent Memorial Day weekend at John's parents house in Oklahoma. The last time we were there, it was cold and snowy. This time we were able to play outside.

Seth went fishing for the first time (he wasn't as lucky as his mother on her first attempt but he's got a good head start.)

We got to see a brand new calf (born just the night before).

There was plenty of four-wheeler riding.

There were also dips in the river, trips around the field in the tractor, and a late night watching dirt track races. We have no pictures to prove it because I temporarily misplaced my camera.

We had a great time and the boys took full advantage of all the ranch at to offer.

Family Fun Day 2010

2010-05-17T10:34:00.004-05:00

Welcome back to the old digs, loyal readers. It's good to be back to the land of writing about whatever I want to. I have a few ideas lined up and stories to tell. It won't be, all boys all the time, but there will be plenty of pictures and stories about them too.

Like this one...

John's employer hosted a Family Fun Day at our local amusement park yesterday. We survived. We spent most of our time at Camp Snoopy, the kid friendly section of the park.

I forgot my real camera (amateur!) but here's a phone shot of the boys first ride. It was a thriller as you can clearly see.

Seth progressed to the more daring rides throughout the day. If he was tall enough - he rode it fearlessly. Thanks to Chad and Katie for hanging out with our brood. Katie stepped in as "the accompanying responsible adult" (that was the requirement for children under 48") on the spin-in-a-circle ride and Seth had a ball!

It took some fancy parenting to entertain Colin, who met the height requirements for very few rides. He loved the ones he rode though. He paid close attention to the sounds other riders were making and imitated them for the duration of the ride. Lots of ooooo's and ahhhhh's.

I funnel caked myself sick. I've already told John, Chad, and Katie that I hold them responsible for reminding me during Family Fun Day 2011 of how badly I felt after Family Fun Day 2010. No more funnel cakes for me.

Life in the Country - The Horse Whisperer

2010-03-22T10:35:00.001-05:00

It’s been awhile since I’m written a “Life in the Country” post. When I first moved out to this wide open space, there were so many new things to experience and I tried to document them here.

I’m still experiencing new things but haven’t been as diligent about putting them into words. So here’s the first of three “Life in the Country” updates.

It’s been almost a year ago since this particular event but I’ll never forget it. It was my day off and I had spent most of the morning in the basement refinishing some furniture. I had worked straight through lunch and finally stopped sanding and staining around 2:00. I settled down in the living room with my soup and sandwich for a little break.

Just as I sat down, I caught a glimpse of a large figure running through our backyard. It’s not alarming to have dogs or rabbits or a squirrel scampering through the yard, but what I saw was definitely bigger than a dog. I got up to check.

I walked through the patio doors to see four horses munching on grass in our backyard. There aren’t any wild horses out here so it was obvious that these particular horses had escaped from wherever they belong.

I didn’t know what to do. I thought I could leave them and maybe they would just wander onto the next yummy yard or get homesick. Our horse, who was locked up safe and sound in our field, was getting agitated (probably jealous), which made the four escapees jumpy and agitated too.

One of our neighbors has four horses who have run away from home before, so I figured that’s where they came from. I knew the neighbors weren’t home during the day, and I was worried the horses would wander off even farther away from home. I took a deep breath and told myself, “It’s up to you. You have to do this!”

I went into our barn (yes my dear college friends I have a barn), for what - I didn’t know. I just figured I couldn’t use my persuasive personality to get them home. I had to use some horse accessory or country-living tool and what better place to find that than in a barn.
I found a rope looped up on a hook and grabbed it. I walked into the yard with my rope and just started laughing. Who did I think I was? What in the world was I going to do with this rope? What about my life experience up to this point gives me any idea what to do with a horse and a rope? Did I think I would suddenly garner the ability to lasso, and if I did – then what? Any one of those horses could have dragged me to Michigan if they wanted to.

I reassessed the situation and returned to the barn. In a moment of inspiration I had it. I grabbed a rusty old coffee can and dipped it into the bucket of sweet feed (that’s horse food for those of you like me who are “country clueless”).

I walked out of the barn shaking my coffee can to entice those four massive beasts to me. It worked. They suddenly were willing to see things my way.

I was able to coax three of them through the yard, up our drive, down the dirt road, down the neighbor’s drive and into their own backyard. The fourth horse was the most stubborn and powerful and remained in our front field. I couldn’t worry about him at the moment though. I was too busy sweet talkin’ these three.

I had seen John’s mom scare a cow back into a field once by waving her arms up and down like a big bird and squealing like a pig. I tried it and turns out it works on horses too. I got all three horses corralled and locked up.

The fourth one decided he didn’t want to roam the countryside all alone so he came home on his own. I opened the gate and let him join his friends.

And then I took a deep breath. I was filthy, scared, hungry, and gosh darn proud of myself (you have to say “gosh darn” when you’ve accomplished a country-living feat of this magnitude).

And then I called John to have him guess how I spent my afternoon. He didn’t guess but when I told him, he was gosh darn proud of me too.

Next up on "Life in the Country" - The Possum Trap

Temporary Move

2009-12-19T20:59:00.004-06:00

Hello loyal followers.

This is just a quick note to tell you that for a short period of time - you can find us here.

We wanted a way for our friends and family to check in on our African Adventure but didn't want to share this blog address with such a wide audience.

We'll return here with stories and pictures shortly after our arrival back home.

Despite How It Looks - It's Not a Costume.

2009-12-04T13:59:00.004-06:00

So I don't get any blog-points for posting this so late but I just pulled this picture off of my phone and had to share.

We participated in the Trunk-or-Treat event at our church on Halloween. There was a contest for "best dressed" trunk and this was our entry.

You can't tell in the picture but Sheena is behind the picket fence.

We won.

Court - Passed

2009-11-24T11:39:00.003-06:00

We are now the proud parents of two very handsome boys. We got the word yesterday that we "passed court"...the first time around! It is very exciting.

I have many thoughts and words to share but am having a hard time putting them all together. If I wrote something out now it would include random phrases like "oh my goodness" and "I can't believe it" and "isn't it wonderful." What's in my head is much more eloquent and thoughtful. Maybe someday it will make it onto paper.

Now That's More Like It

2009-11-19T21:53:00.013-06:00

My mom recently had a monumental birthday and her mom and siblings were here to surprise her. It was great fun. They were at our house one night for dinner. My Uncle John had his fancy camera lens and took some proper pictures of this place. No matter how hard I tried, I could never capture our house with my little point-and-shoot.

I love this picture of two of my favorite people.

Happy Birthday Mom!

(Sometimes blogger drives me crazy - sorry for the spacing issues. I've been working on fixing it for an hour and I'm giving up!)

Old News

2009-11-17T15:11:00.004-06:00

So we've decided to include the current chapter of our lives in this blog. It is what has kept us occupied and caused the blog neglect you've seen here. For most of you this will be old news. You may feel a little dejavu but I thought it would be best to start back at the beginning. Someday we'll look back on this and will want to see the full picture (if we'll even be able to access this information on the archaic format called "a blog").

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the walk down memory lane.

April 30, 2009

Things have been busy around our house and we wanted to keep you updated on all the happenings.

After many months of disappointment, planning, and praying...we are finally in the process of expanding our family. We have started the adoption process and are equally scared and excited (okay, Kim is equally scared and excited...John is just excited).

Our initial application to adopt a child from Ethiopia has been approved and we're in the thick of paperwork, notaries, and interviews. Right now the process seems to be taking about 15 months from start to finish. We're two months into it at this point.

Our next step is to have a homestudy done. They collect information from references (thank you references!). We answer questions we never thought we'd have to even think about. They'll assess our house, our marriage, our finances, our families...and hopefully decide that we'd make pretty good parents.

It's a long, unpredictable process but we know it's right. We have felt God's guidance in this decision from the very start and we know he will give us what we need all along the way. Who wants the job of reminding me of this a year from now when I'm impatient and frustrated?

Thank you so much for the prayers you have prayed for us so far. Keep them coming. We're gonna need 'em!

May 5, 2009

Thank you all for your wonderful words of support. Really. It means a lot to us that people are excited and praying for us.

I thought I'd answer some "frequently asked questions" all in one shot.

1. Do we get to choose if it's a boy or a girl?

We do get to choose but we have opted not to. We wouldn't have been able to choose with a biological child either.

2. How old will the baby be when you bring them home?

We have requested to adopt an "infant". On average, babies are anywhere from 6 months to 1 year when they "come home".

3. Are you getting more than one baby?

The official answer is that we have applied for one baby. We have let them know that we are open to adopting siblings. I was struck by this one day, thinking about what it would be like to grow up and know that you are so far away from the people who are biologically related to you. If there are siblings that need a home, we're willing and hopefully able to give them one.

4. Where are the babies now?

Our agency runs two care centers in Ethiopia. One is for children who are initially taken into care and the other is a "transition" home for children who will soon be adopted. Our agency recently sent a DVD of the care center's Christmas party. I'm not sure what I expected it to look like but was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. The building is new and clean and the staff was attentive and caring. Seeing it put my mind at ease.

5. Can we babysit?

Yes - would you like to sign up for a time now?

We just sent off another stack of paperwork. This stack included a "homestudy application" that was 10 pages of open ended questions like "Describe your upbringing. What would you do differently?" and "Describe your support system" and my personal favorite "What method of discipline do you think is most effective?" (my answer: "whatever method works to change the unwanted behavior". I was feeling snarky at that point.)

John and I had to answer separately. Here's a little insight into our personalities. John started and finished in a few hours. It took me 5 days.

It was emotional for me to be honest. To see a collection of words describing your parents, your spouse, your family and friends, your life experience - I felt like the luckiest girl in the whole world. (And I got to feel lucky twice because when I finally finished - I closed the document on my computer and lost it. I had to do it all over again.)

There probably won't be much to update for awhile. The next steps will be really boring stuff like getting physicals and submitting applications to immigration. I'll spare you those monotonous details.

June 21, 2009

We're here with an update on our adoption process. It's been a busy couple of months of what I've been calling our test of endurance. Sometimes this process feels like an obstacle course and we're being tested not on our merits but on whether or not we have what it takes to make it to the end. Can we jump through the hoops set out before us? Will we break from the task of answering the same questions over and over again? Will this step be the one where they say, "We're sorry, but thanks for trying."

We keep jumping and answering and they keep telling us we've passed and can move on to the next step. Here are the highlights of the last couple of months.

1. We were both seen for physicals and passed with flying colors. You'll be happy to know we are not infected with any communicable diseases...in case you were wondering.

2. We found out this week that we officially passed our homestudy. A social worker came to our house twice. Once, to ask us questions we'd already answered on the homestudy application and once to have us proofread the assessment. To be honest, we were pretty unimpressed with this part of the process. I'm not sure if it's because of my professional background or because we (okay I) had unrealistic expectations of how this part of the process would look. They had initially told us that the homestudy would consist of three visits. One in our home, one in the office, and one where the social worker would meet with us separately. What actually happened was much easier for us but I'm not so sure "easy" is really the route you want to take in determining the capability of people to be parents.
The social worker didn't seem interested in going into any real depth with our answers to her questions. Short simple answers were all that was required. After all of our anticipation and preparation the whole thing was very anticlimactic. When the social worker left after the first visit I said to John, "That was a hoop and we jumped through it."

3. Our next step is to complete several government applications that will allow us to adopt internationally. This will help expedite the process of our child becoming a U.S. citizen at the time of adoption.

4. We're signed up for a two-day parenting course at the end of this month through our agency. They'll address issues specific to international adoption and we'll be able to meet other families in our area that are also in this process. We are actually looking forward to these classes. It makes sense to gather information and prepare ourselves for the upcoming life change.

5. We're working on completing our "dossier", which is a large stack of information that gets sent to Ethiopia. It's basically our entire lives in a neat stack of papers. Financial records, medical records, homestudy assessments, visa applications, background checks (in addition to the one they've already done), fingerprints (in addition to the ones we've already done), etc. This is a big step that right now seems daunting. We'll slowly but surely make progress and tackle one piece of paper at a time.

When our dossier is complete, we'll submit it to our agency who will approve it and send it to Ethiopia.

6. Then we wait. We'll be "in line" for children that are awaiting adoption and who fit with our profile. When the needs of a child match up with our application...well, I hope it will feel like one of the best days of my life. We'll finally get to know the little person that my grandma says God meant for us all along. These days that wait time is fairly short. This isn't necessarily a good thing. It means there are a lot of children who need families and not enough families to take them. Our agency is working hard to meet the needs of those children (whether they are awaiting adoption or not). Right now the wait time seems to be about 6 months.

So that's where we are. We're strong and determined to finish this obstacle course.

Several people have asked for specific ways they could be praying for us. Here are a few:
- Pray for Ethiopia. They are experiencing a famine and many people are in need of even basic needs. If you'd like you can find out more about this at http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/learn/world-vision-ethiopia and http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?section=10324&item=1754360
- Pray for the health and safety of our child/children. It seems so strange but if they are here on this earth, I hope and pray that they are healthy and safe. Sometimes it's all I can think about.
- Pray for the resources necessary to finish this process (finances, cooperative governments - ours and theirs, etc.) So far we have wanted for nothing and don't anticipate having any difficulties financially. We have talked several times about how we feel very blessed.

Thank you all once again for your amazing support. We'll keep you posted on our progress.
July 9,2009

John put together this update on our adoption process. I'm having a hard time putting coherent sentences together.

***************************************************
July 8, 2009

Can it be?…
Kim and I have been talking more and more about the adoption these days. A couple of nights ago we turned the TV off and just spent some time talking about what we were looking forward to, what we were scared of, and how tough it was not knowing what changes were coming.
We have been working quickly to get our dossier done because things are moving faster all the time. Because of the current food crisis in the horn of Africa more and more children are being given up by parents who cannot take care of them. Kim recently read a blog post of a couple who only had to wait two months after their dossier was complete before they received a referral. We were expecting to wait something like six months or so, not two, so it was shocking how quickly things were starting to move. Kim said "If we get a referral two months after our dossier is done, I might pass out."
Another reason Kim and I were talking about adoption a couple of nights ago is because we had just learned that we had our first "hiccup" in this process. We have always been interested in adopting a sibling group if we could. And we have tried to word all of our documents to say "We are interested in an infant. Also open to an infant with an older sibling." But when Kim went back to review our Home Study she found that it stated "approved for an infant 0 to 2". Upon calling the adoption agency her fears were realized in finding out that we probably would have to resubmit the Home Study with revised wording. But there wasn’t much we could do about it until the next day.
On Tuesday Kim contacted Holt to give them the revised wording and to say "call me back if you have any questions." We were both in lots of meetings during the day but during a brief break where she was back in her office Kim got a phone call. Caller ID said: Holt International.
"Hello"
"Hi Kim, I talked to headquarters about your situation."
"OK"
"We have a couple of boys for you, one is 10 months, and one is 3 years old."

"Are you taking notes?"
"Um, yes. We… we, don’t have our dossier complete yet."
"Yes, I know. We talked about it and we think the timing will work out perfect. Would you like us to send you the referral?"
"… I’ll have to talk to John."
When I called Kim back in response to her important and urgent sounding text message I could tell that she was having trouble breathing. After telling me the situation she said "So…" And I said "Great. It’s what we wanted, let’s check it out."
The email was sent to us both but Kim wouldn’t let me open it without her. She called me back when she was done with meetings and said she was ready. I said "You’re OK with this? We’re not really opening it ‘together’ we’re just opening it at the same time."
She said shakily, "I don’t know, what do you think?"
"Let’s wait until we get home."
Kim, relieved "Ok, I’ll see you in a bit."
When we got home Kim set up the laptop on the kitchen counter and pulled up her email. We looked at each other and decided we were ready. There were two emails. She opened the first of them. "Congratulations… blah blah blah", my eyes scanned down. "Frequently asked questions… blah blah blah" "Kim, don’t read this, just scroll down." Kim scrolled down.
There at the bottom of the email were the pictures. Kim froze. She pulled her hands back from the computer and covered her face. And she cried. There were two boys. Two handsome boys.
I was immediately drawn to the older boy on the left. I started to say to Kim "What a great looking kid." But before I could say anything her hand shot out and she pointed to the kid on the right and said "He is so cute." I refocused. Oh wait, this is the email for the younger child. The kid I was looking at wasn’t even our kid. "Yeah, I said. He is."
We sat and stared and cried. Then we opened the second email for the older boy, and there he was, the boy on the left side of the first picture. The older brother. He looked so smart, and serious, and sometimes worried, but good. And Kim cried on.
We figured out that there were newer pictures that showed them in the current care center. They look good. Well fed and cared for and in a good place. There are also older pictures that appear to have been taken when they first came to the care center where the younger one is wearing a 2006 St. Patrick’s Day Old Navy shirt and a bewildered expression.
I finally walked around to the other side of the kitchen island where I could just stare up into Kim’s face. Stare and drink it up. My mind went to the Bible passages of Mary when it said that she stored all those things up in her heart. I could tell that Kim’s heart was full and overflowing.
Kim said "I don’t know what to do."
"Well" I said "I think it’s pretty obvious that we want these boys."
She just nodded. "Well then, that’s what we’ll do."
*******************************************************
We are beyond excited. The timeline their giving us is 4-5 months until we can travel. We still have to finish our dossier and schedule a court date in Ethiopia (probably in September). If we are approved through court we could travel sometime in November or December.
The boys are both healthy and developmentally on track. Praise the Lord!! We have pictures but can't send them through email or post them anywhere. If you're in the area - stop by - we'll be happy to share.
Ways you can pray:
* Praise for good health and well-being.
* Pray for cooperative governments
* Pray for our finances (we thought we had several more months to plan and save). God will provide!
Thank you again for all your support and prayers so far. They are working!
July 29, 2009
Things are moving right along in our adoption adventure.

After a little nagging from Kim, our addendum that allows us to adopt more than one child has arrived. We then mailed it to the Kansas Secretary of State for certification. We received it back and have included it in our Dossier (the big packet of paperwork with more information about our lives than anyone should have to know).

As of 10:00 this morning this precious packet of paper left our hands and is on it's way to Oregon where the agency headquarters is located.

We also sent two handmade "My Family" books with pictures of us, our pets, and our house. With help from the Kinko's guy...the books are printed, laminated, and spiral bound. Each boy has their own book and will be able to learn our faces and hopefully feel more comfortable when they see us in real life.

And finally, we've sent two birthday cards. The oldest of our boys turns 3 on Sunday and the youngest will be 1 on September 2nd. That was a weird feeling. Shopping for birthday cards for your children who are half a world away. A very good feeling...but weird.

Here are some answers to a few of the frequently asked questions we've been asked.

1. Will you get to name them?

We will. We have a list of potential names that we hope will be narrowed down soon. We will keep their given names as their middle names. The 3 year old's given name is Mebratu which means "light". The 1 year old's name is Mitiku which means "replace". With a little help from a new Ethiopian friend we've learned more about the meaning of their names. In Ethiopia the meaning is often more important than the actual name. Everyone knows what their name means. The actual translation is difficult but from what we've heard, Mebratu means something like a radiant, strong light. Mitiku means something like a replacement in my soul. If someone close to you dies and you're pregnant, you name your baby "replace", like "take the place of". I hope that makes sense.

2. When will you be able to bring them home?

They're telling us it will be about 4 to 5 months. The Ethiopian court closes for about 6 weeks during the rainy season. Typically they re-open in September. Our agency is hoping to get us on the first round of hearings in September. If we "pass court", which means that the Ethiopian government has given us custody of the boys, then it takes about 4 weeks to arrange airline tickets and lodging in Ethiopia.

3. Why are the boys available for adoption?

Because they have a mother who did the most unselfish thing she could do. She gave them the gift of a better life.

4. How long will you be in Ethiopia?

About 10 days. We will travel and stay with other adoptive parents. We'll get to spend every day with the boys and hopefully by the end of our trip, they'll feel comfortable enough with us that they won't be scared to get on an airplane. We go as a family to the US Embassy for our final visa appointment. As soon as we do that, we can come home. What a day that will be!

So that's where we are now.

Thanks again for your support through all of this. We're getting more and more excited everyday.

We'll keep you posted as things progress.
September 2, 2009
...And so we wait.

The Ethiopian courts are now officially closed for the rainy season so nothing much will happen this month. That doesn't mean that we're not busy with preparations however. We're still able to get pictures and updates (more on that later) and we're discovering the art of nesting. Here's a rundown of what we've been up to.

Names:
We'll start our rundown with names so that I can refer to them appropriately throughout the rest of this post. As you might recall, we had decided to keep the boy's given names as their middle names and we would give them new first names. So without further ado...here they are!

(Sorry - names have been removed to protect the innocent. If you know us in real life - I'm happy to share - just email me.)
Pictures:

One of the caseworkers from our agency was in Ethiopia in July and was able to take pictures of the boys. I still can't send them to you but I'll do my best to describe them. Since the first pictures we got that were taken in April, C has developed rolls on his arms (yeah for normal weight gain!). He always has a confused and surprised look on his face. In the latest pictures he's wearing a striped shirt with a baseball on it which made Grandpa very happy. S, who looked sad and serious in the first set of pictures, now has a charming little grin. He looks happy - which gave me a big sense of relief. His early pictures made me a little sad.

We'll be able to send pictures as soon as we "pass court" and the boys are legally ours. Hopefully that won't be too much longer. I know you are anxious to see them and we're anxious to send them to you.

Health Updates:

We received new health and developmental evaluations yesterday. The boys are perfectly healthy and developmentally on-track. For all you teachers out there - and there are a lot of you - C can follow simple commands, looks for hidden objects, pulls to stand, finger feeds, etc. S can name 8 objects in pictures, can stack 10+ blocks, understands sharing, and shows affection. He does not enjoy playing alone however.

Nesting:

John and I are working on getting their room ready. We passed the ultimate right of parental passage last night and put the crib together successfully and with our marriage intact. The boys will share a room at first. We thought it would better for their adjustment if they weren't alone in a strange place. We'll use the loft as the playroom and slowly but surely these rooms are coming together. Once I get everything in order I'll send pictures.

The Next Step:

Our dossier (the big packet of paperwork) has arrived in Ethiopia safely by way of Eugene, OR and Washington D.C. From there we will be assigned a court date. We hope it will be some time in October. We do not have to be there. There's an attorney that works with our agency who will represent us. It's not unusual for people to not pass court the first time. It's better for everyone if we do though.

Once we "pass court", the boys are legally ours. It will then be about 4 to 6 weeks before we can travel to go get them.

We're still thinking that they will be home with us by Christmas.

Things to Pray About:

- that Ethiopia will get lots of rain (which they need) in a short amount of time.
- that our paperwork doesn't get shuffled around or lost while it sits and waits for the courts to re-open.
- that my baby feels blessed and happy on his 1st birthday (that's today - don't talk about it or I'll cry....oh, too late!)
- that John and I can tie up some fairly big projects at work so we'll be ready to travel and focus on our boys.
- finances - we're doing okay but again, this is happening much sooner than we planned.
- that we pass court, the first time.

So there you have it. Thanks again for all the encouraging words. I don't care if I sound like a broken record - we really could not do this without the support and love of our friends and family.
October 22, 2009
John took over the reigns for the latest addition of our adoption update. As you can tell, he's less wordy than his counterpart. :) I've added my commentary in parenthesis...I just can't help it.

**********************************************************
This is John writing the update this time. Kim and I wanted to send something out to keep everyone informed on our progress. The courts in Ethiopia were supposed to be closed for the month of September for the rainy season and then re-open at the beginning of October.
At the beginning of October we got an email from our agency that the rainy season was indeed over, but that courts were going to be closed for an additional 3 weeks for staff training. That same email had more bad news about a delay in processing immigration in Ethiopia. So, it looks much less likely now that we will be able to have the boys home for Christmas this year. (I cried once and moved on - this is the life in international adoption. Don't set your expectations too firmly - plans change all the time. I mailed off a care-package to the boys last week with cards and stickers and coloring pages - mostly for my own benefit. Right now we're just waiting to hear that our court date has been scheduled.)
We are happy to report that we have made a lot of progress in being ready for the boys’ arrival. We’ve been blessed by so many people donating clothes and other useful things to us. We have the nursery all decked out with a crib, a changing table, and twin sized bed.
Currently there are piles of clothes on the bed as well, thanks to everyone helping out by passing on those hand-me-downs. We've also found some good thrift store sources. We feel more comfortable buying used when we don’t know for sure what will fit. (We were pretty happy to put this together without buying any new furniture. We refinished the night stand and changing table. People recommended that we keep their room simple because that's what the boys are used to. It's simple - but inviting I think.)

Kim recently spoke at a women’s conference at our church. She and two other women who have already adopted talked about their experiences and shared information with people who were interested in adopting, or were just curious about the process. Her talk was well received and there seems to be genuine interest from people that we know.
Thanks to everyone for your support.
November 16, 2009
I told John last night that I was giving our agency one more week of silence and if we didn't hear anything about a having a court date scheduled, I was going to let them know just how I felt about it. Someone must have told them because we heard late this afternoon that WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!

This is what we've been waiting for since July. We knew there were delays and closures to tend with but this part of the process has been hard for me. I remind myself that we received our referral (the initial photos and demographic information) much sooner than we anticipated so it is just our time to wait. Turns out I'm not that patient (hush family!).

Our case will be heard in the Ethiopian courts THIS Wednesday 11/18. There's always a chance that things will run late and they won't get to us but we're at least on the list. Our agency has a good reputation with the courts and most families are approved during the first court hearing. It's not too worrisome if we're not approved. It usually means that a document has to be updated or redone.

There's been a recent change in the court procedure for adoption cases. They won't tell us the outcome of our hearing until they receive the written report, which can take up to a week. We, of course, will update all of you as soon as we hear.

We'll obviously not be in Ethiopia for the hearing. There's an attorney that works for the agency who will represent us. They have our dossier (the big packet that describes everything - and I mean everything - about us) and will make a decision based on that information.

If we "pass court" then the boys are officially ours. They of course have been "ours" in our hearts already but we can bring them home without being charged with kidnapping. It will be another 6-8 weeks before we can actually get on an airplane to go get them. The good news for you is that once we "pass court" we can send you pictures of our beautiful children. We can't wait for you to meet them.

Things to pray about:
- That court will run smoothly on Wednesday
- That the judge will look favorably on us
- That the hearts of our children are prepared for such a big change

As always - thanks for the love and support you've shown so far. We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear anything.
Congratulations - you made it to the end. We'll try to be more diligent about updating the blog from here on out.

The Temporary Return of Pet Pic Friday

2009-11-13T09:46:00.003-06:00

John is working from home this morning and caught this picture.

I call it "Bookends"

Who is Winning Here?

2009-10-31T19:19:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone.

John here.

Being married is a new experience for me. I have only been married once, and although my calendar says it will be three years coming up on Wednesday, I still haven't figured this whole thing out yet.

One of the things I can't figure out is what happened to all my stuff.

Case in point. I talked to my brother a couple of weeks about about how to smoke things with apple wood. So when I got home, I found a branch that had broken off of our apple tree and I used my chainsaw to cut it up into 3 or 4 inch sections. Then I stacked these in front of the garage until I was ready to smoke something.

A few days later I am perusing my living room, and I come upon a strange sight.

It appears that my wife has decided that my wood chunks were "just the thing" for adding to her fall decor. Now rather than adding their delightful smoky flavor to steaks on my grill, they are adorning our piano nestled around a candle, gathered together by a metal... um... well I don't know. I'm sure there's a name for it. I'll call it a basket I guess.

Anyway, let's continue on around the living room just to prove the point. If you move a mere 3 feet to the left of the metal basket of wood with pine cones and candles, you find this:

Now when I bought this property 8 years ago and found this old wooden thing in the barn, I foolishly assumed it was a ladder. I even used it as a ladder... for several years no less. Anytime there was a spot just over my head where I needed a little boost, I would pull it out and use it.

Imagine my embarrassment now that I am married and it is explained to me that this old wooden structure is actually a magazine rack. Who knew that the early farming inhabitants of this place would need such sturdy structures for their magazines. Perhaps they hung whole Sears and Roebuck Catalogues on them. You know, for when they couldn't find things in the General Store.

I have decided to fight back.

One of my quirks is collecting things. I get it from my mom who has every copy of Reader's Digest dating back to 1962. So the other day I was walking with Tim and Chad at work and I came across a couple of acorns. Not just any acorns, but the big, fuzzy-headed kind. I think it's Chinkapin Oak (Quercus Muelenbergii if I recall my biology class correctly). I think it would be great to have one of those at our place. So I scoop up a couple of acorns and drop them in my pocket thinking someday I will plant them and then, viola, a short 30 years later we have a cool tree or two.

But then, what to do with the acorns until I'm ready to plant? I can't leave them sitting around the house or Kim will scoop them up and throw them in the trash. So I cleverly dropped them in the basket thingy. "Very well hidden." I think to myself. Genius. Pure genius.

But then yesterday Kim spots the acorns. I brace myself. But then she says "Awww... they're perfect! Where did you find them?"

For a few brief moments I congratulate myself on a job well done. I pulled something off rather cleverly.

But then I think about it more and I wonder...

Am I just being brainwashed into decorating the house?

Its Like We Were Meant to be Together

2009-10-02T13:11:00.006-05:00

...in an artist - fan sort of way.

So, it's well documented here (and here) that I am a slightly obsessed fan of a certain artist and his band. He was scheduled to be here with Willie Nelson (also a fan - I know its weird). I've driven by the billboard every night on my way home from work with a tinge of sadness because I wasn't going to the show.

With our recent adventures, we're a little cash-strapped and spending $100 on concert tickets just wasn't going to be possible this year.

My friend Susie (also a slighty-obsessed fan and my DMB concert buddy) got an email on Monday from the venue telling her about a chance to win 2 tickets at an area grocery store. We knew it was a long shot but why not try. So Susie registered at her local store and I went to the store by my house. I also called John and asked him to stop by and register. He did.

Here's where its important to note that we live in the country. We have a large grocery store but the number of people who frequent that store is pretty small. The chance that there's even another DMB fan is even smaller.

We were supposed to be notified by email on Tuesday if we won. None of us heard anything.

We thought our chance was gone and we moped around Wednesday talking about how cool it would have been to go. Oh well.

I was searching online for pumpkin muffin recipes. I figured if I wasn't going to the concert then I would cook my sorrows away. John called. "I just got off the phone with a lady who called to tell me I won tickets."

I told him it wasn't a funny joke. He wasn't joking. It was 4:00 the day of the concert.

I was dressed in my most matronly work outfit. Totally unfit to attend a concert. I ran into Susie's office. We screamed and scrambled to finish our work.

I scurried to Wal-mart for an outfit...it was cheaper than driving all the way home (my commute is an hour). I made it to Susie's house with a $12 pair of jeans and a clearance rack sweater. I wasn't gonna win any beauty contests but it would work...in a crowd...in the dark.

John had to drive downtown to personally pick up the tickets at Will Call. Susie and I met him there and off we went. I walked into the arena with a huge smile, a sense of anticipation, and bedazzled butt-pockets.

The concert was amazing! Our seats were up high but centered.

Kudos to John who did two of his least favorite things (driving downtown, and being in traffic). He was sitting at a table outside of a restaurant downtown when we walked up to meet him. He had the same giddy grin on his face that I did. He wasn't going to the concert (Susie and I were going together no matter who won), but he was excited that I got to go. He said later it worked out great because he could say that he got his wife tickets to DMB but it didn't cost him a dime.

What a night!

Here's a horrible picture from my phone but it serves as proof that I was there.

Triathlon Report

2009-08-31T19:38:00.010-05:00

Here is the long awaited triathlon report. First of all, thanks to everyone for the well wishing, the support, and for believing in us.

The triathlon started out Saturday morning around 8:30 when we pulled the bikes out of the garage. We pumped up the tires, checked the seat height, and we mentally prepared ourselves for the grueling race to come.

The First Leg

Then we were off. Down the driveway, hard right turn, and churning through the gravel in the first leg of the triathlon. Kim immediately settled into a rhythm setting the early tempo and I settled in next to her on my trusty Mongoose Rockadile.

After about one and a half miles we attacked a gigantic hill, spinning our way to the top when we were beset by a wild animal.

After zooming down the other side of the hill, we completed the first leg of the race. Kim chucked her bike into the grass beside the road and we were off on the second leg of the race.

The Second Leg

Biking becomes impossible about 2 and a half miles from our house at the construction site where they are building a new railroad underpass. This is where the footrace begins.

After the dirt and mud, we reached the railroad crossing. Note Kim's athletic pose as she sprints across.

Two grueling miles of pavement later, we reach the transition to our third leg: Price Chopper!

The Third Leg

The third leg of our triathlon involves eating giant pancakes. Pancakes as big as my head.

We are athletes. Fear us.

Under New Management

2009-08-27T22:35:00.003-05:00

Testing... 1... 2...

Greetings everyone. This is John. I apologize for the previous management's lack of updates. It is because of this serious lapse, toward you, our customer, that I am taking over for the time being. While I am in charge you can expect lots of blog posts on physics, computers, and rodeos. Oh, and sports. And to kick things off, look for a post this weekend after Kim and I complete our first triathlon on Saturday morning.

Wish us luck.

Aloha

2009-05-17T22:32:00.026-05:00

We're back from our vacation. We spent a week on the island of Kauai with my parents and my sister. Here's a quick picture review.

Our hotel

(Photo by Kelly)

Mother's Day

Monday at Poipu Beach for sunning and snorkeling

(photo by my mom)

Shaved Ice - a Hawaii staple
Don't they look like the epitome of vacation?

Monday was John's 30th Birthday. He opened cards while we watched the sun set on Poipu Beach.

The Sunset

Tuesday at Waimea Canyon

and the Napali Coast

We headed to the north side of the island on Wednesday.

Kilauea Lighthouse

Anini Beach

Ke'e Beach

John and I hiked along the Napali Coast

Here are a couple videos that probably aren't entertaining to anyone but us. The first one is my attempt to follow John down the trail. The second one is me saying hi to the rest of my family down on the beach below.

Thursday found us exploring the beaches and trails around our hotel. We lounged by the pool in the afternoon.

Aren't they the cutest?!

(photo by Kelly)

Friday we kayaked on the Wailua River. We didn't take our cameras for fear of flipping the kayak. We kayaked and then hiked to swim at the base of the "secret falls". Here are someone else's pictures of the falls (apparently they're not that "secret").

(photo by a stranger who put their vacation pictures on the internet)

We spent Saturday in Honolulu before catching our flight home.

Pearl Harbor

Thanks for humoring us by looking at our vacation pictures.

Aloha!

Wise words from the Office Mate

2009-05-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

We had lunch brought in today for a meeting. They provided a few vegetarian options. A veggie sandwich with cheese.

Office mate: Do vegetarians eat cheese?

Kim: Yes. I thinks its vegans who don't eat cheese. I wouldn't know though because I eat everything. What do we call people who eat everything?

Office mate without skipping a beat: Fat. We call them fat.

2009-05-06T15:15:00.008-05:00

I may have a very long to-do list before our Hawaiian adventure. But my toes are ready!

Life in the Country - Go Fly a Kite

2009-03-22T20:46:00.006-05:00

We're supposed to get rain soon so the Kansas wind was strong this morning. It was the perfect day to fly a kite. I knew I had one somewhere so I searched through the boxes in the basement and found it. The problem though...no string.

John said, "No problem. I'll take care of it."

He comes out of the garage with his solution.

Fishing Pole Kite Flying

After one little mishap which involved jumping the fence and untangling the line, it worked like a charm.

This picture makes it look rather "beachy". But I assure you it was not.

Well Worn

2009-02-19T20:41:00.003-06:00

You may not believe this but I didn't do this on purpose.

It just happened.

I still like looking at it so it works out well for me.

10 Things I Like About My Sister...

2009-02-02T17:02:00.003-06:00

She’s a natural educator and is admired by many in her field.

She’s a snazzy dresser.

Her friends are young and old(er).

She got every thick luscious hair gene in our family.

She’s generous with her time.

She cries when she laughs really hard.

She coordinates colorful socks with her outfits.

She makes decisions carefully.

She’s witty and fun to be around.

She taught my dog to be “calm with Kelly” and it works.

Compiled with love on her birthday.

Things you don't want to hear on a Friday afternoon...

2009-01-30T16:19:00.003-06:00

Oh Kim, thank goodness you're here. Every other social worker has left already."

Paradise Prophecy

2009-01-24T08:41:00.004-06:00

Someone sent a big box of fortune cookies to the office this week to say "Happy Chinese New Year".

I opened my fortune cookie and here's what was inside.

"Pleasures await you by the seashore"

Which is weird because ten minutes before that, I bought our tickets to here.

All Those Hours of Watching HGTV Finally Paid Off

2009-01-12T10:59:00.010-06:00

After several months of just enjoying the house and not feeling like we have to spend every spare moment building, painting, sanding, staining...we're back to our Saturday routine of working on the house.

We have a pretty good system I think. We alternate weekends. One week John gets to choose what we work on and I'm the helper. The next Saturday, it's my turn.

This weekend was my turn and I had big plans.

Remember this...when I said that "eventually there will be tile..."

Well that time has come and you're invited to come along for the ride.

Sometimes we get these ideas about how to add small details that make our house unique (you know...other than the fact that it's made out of logs, has trees in the kitchen, and was built by amateurs). We also have some ideas about how not to spend money. This was one of those ideas.

We needed a back splash for the kitchen island. I was drawn to those strips of mosaic tile you can buy ready made. Like the trim in our shower.

We still had pieces of floor tile left and I thought, "How hard could it be to make our own?" Turns out that it's not that hard. Long and tedious but not hard.

We took a sledgehammer to the tile (and for the sake of full disclosure I'll add that my preferred method was throwing them down on the concrete driveway but John scoffed and made me use the sledgehammer.) We rolled the broken pieces around in this bucket to rough them up a bit.

I made a template of the space and set to work on putting the pieces together.

John adjusted electrical outlets and secured the cement wall board.

We taped off sections of the tile to speed up the actual application which worked like a charm.

We almost got away with not spending one more penny on this project. But what weekend home improvement project is complete without a last minute run to that place that rhymes with "Foam Repo". Turns out our old grout was a little too petrified.

So for a whopping $13 - Here's the finished product (almost anyway - it still needs to be washed and sealed).

Not too shabby!

A Sorry Excuse For a Post

2009-01-07T14:41:00.002-06:00

I believe proper blogging etiquette says that you should link to things you copy from other blogs. However, I just happened across this little ditty on a blog I don't normally read and wouldn't recommend (there's nothing wrong with it - just not that interesting) so I'm not going to follow blog protocol.

I thought it was kind of interesting nonetheless and since I don't seem to have intriguing thoughts of my own at the moment I thought I'd go for this. Here's how it works...I bold the things I've done and leave the things I haven't. Simple enough huh?

Follow along if you like.

Started your own blog (this is a dumb one to list on a blog)
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Been to Disneyland/world
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Grown your own vegetables
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitch hiked
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Ran a Marathon
Rode in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo’s David
Sung karaoke (why is it "sung" here and "sang" up there?)
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance (Happy Birthday to me!)
Had your portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain (I don't really remember - probably. I mean I've done so much kissing in my life, it's hard to keep track).
Played in the mud
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout Cookies
Gone whale watching
Got flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check
Flown in a helicopter
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Ate Caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone (just a toe - I don't think that counts)
Been on a speeding motorcycle (sorry mom)
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared an animal for eating (and I'm not gonna!)
Had chickenpox
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a lawsuit
Been stung by a bee (right on my bum!)

Christmas Photo Outtakes

2008-12-18T09:11:00.004-06:00

Now that most of the Christmas cards have been delivered, I thought I'd share some of the outtakes. We had your typical Christmas photo experiences - running to beat the self-timer, trying to get everyone to look at the camera, trying to keep a genuine smile after sitting in the cold for 30 minutes. It was great fun.

I even made John come back out to do it again because the best picture from the first batch - my sweater was weird. I bet no one would have even noticed - but I noticed and it bothered me.

So here you go...all the pictures that didn't make the cut. Some for obvious reasons.

Hurry! Hurry! The light's blinking!

The wind gust!

Sheena: "Oh - What's over there?"

The Finished Product

2008-12-16T21:24:00.005-06:00

Here's the finished product of the Christmas Tree hunt.

Ohhh...Ahhh!

And the fireplace that was made for just such an occasion.

The dining room all decked out.

The entry way to welcome you.

Merry Christmas!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-11T10:32:00.005-06:00

We're in full Christmas-mode now.

John and I headed out last weekend to find the perfect tree for The Lodge. We both had certain requirements. John wanted it as tall as possible (it's in the living room with a vaulted ceiling) until I reminded him that we didn't have enough stuff to decorate a giant tree and decorating half of it was not permissible.

We walked all over that Christmas Tree Farm and found just the one. I know it looks like every other tree surrounding it but I assure you it's not. It's totally different. I also assure you that I am not as tired as I look. I'm not a morning person and it was technically still morning.

The lumberjack.

Kids - Don't try this at home. I just love the smell of free cut evergreens. More than once John has found me with my face buried in the tree.

Stay tuned for pictures of the finished product. Coming Soon!

Pet Pic Friday

2008-11-21T12:52:00.005-06:00

Sheena helped us rake leaves last weekend. It was really cold and windy that day so she donned her purple quilted coat and helped us weight down the leaves.

Happy Fall!

To Whom It May Concern - Round Three

2008-11-13T13:36:00.008-06:00

To see previous "To Whom It May Concern" entries look here and here.

Dear Sick People,

Stay home. The world is not going to stop spinning because you had to stay home from work. It it better for everyone if you snot and sneeze in your own house. If you insist on coming to work, please do not walk up and down the hallways coughing into every open door you see. Can I interest you in a mask and some antibacterial gel? This is a hospital for goodness sake - we're not in short supply.

Sincerely,
Mrs. First Door on the Right

*****************************************************

To Heather and Jenny,

Thanks for watching us last weekend. We enjoyed our time with you. Come back to visit anytime you want. Sorry about the toaster oven. Mommy should have told you about it before she left.

From,
Carhartt and Sheena

*****************************************************

Dear Bugs,

I guess we showed you! I know that you are God's creation and most of you are good for something. However, you are not welcome in my home. You are free to enjoy the vast surrounding area (except mosquitoes - you are evil and should die), but the indoor space is off limits. If you continue to violate this request, you will be executed like the others. I trust you'll make the right decision.

Regards,
Mrs. I Have Poison and I'm Not Afraid to Use It

*****************************************************

Dear Delta,

I'm sorry I bad-mouthed you about making us walk from the far end of the terminal just to turn right around and go back through the same gate. You thought ahead and made it very easy for us to catch our connecting flight. I shouldn't have been so quick to judge.

I also commend you for the yummy cookies you provide in addition to peanuts.

Sincerely,
Grateful Passenger

****************************************************

Dear Nampa,

You're getting so big (relatively speaking). John says you're not as smelly as he was led to believe. I tried to tell him you were just having a good day.

By the way, your mayor can really rock.

From,
The Lady in the Obnoxious Red Rental Car

10 Years...Really?

2008-11-11T17:46:00.006-06:00

John and I just got back from my 10 year college reunion. We had great fun seeing everyone. Thanks for spending time with us and for having such cute kids. I really miss that part by not living closer.

This is my cousin's little girl. We got to babysit one morning. John's teaching her how to play the guitar. She almost had it!

All these girls were roommates of mine at one time or another.

And here are some of the cute kids who are either watching fireworks or awaiting the great company of the heavenly host.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-11T17:41:00.003-06:00

Here we are on Halloween. John is a sophisticated suburbanite who married a backwoods country girl. Hee Hee!

For The Sake of Posterity

2008-10-29T15:35:00.002-05:00

I'm having a good hair day. It happens so infrequently, that I think it should be documented.

That is all.

Life in the Country - The Frog Edition

2008-10-28T18:10:00.007-05:00

Wildlife was an aspect of country living that I anticipated. I figured there would be face to face encounters with some furry friends...maybe a snake or two.

We (and once again, by "we" I mean John) trapped a good-sized snake in the garage and transplanted him to a cornfield nearby - after giving him three chances to slither on on his own. We have some sort of noisemaker that is supposed to deter mice from setting up permanent residence in our house.

I fear the day I meet this guy. I've been on board with this country livin' idea but that may all change when faced with those evil eyes and sharp little teeth. I've never touched a firearm in my life but, if handy, I'd pull the trigger without hesitation.

One of my favorite things about living here so far? The frogs. They're everywhere. They cling to our windows at night, scurrying up and down the glass catching bugs that hover near our porch lights.

(For the sake of keeping things real...I would like everyone to notice the background in the picture above. This picture was taken the same night I took pictures of our finished house. Remember the "golden" pictures? Anyway, in the reflection you can see the dining room/kitchen. That white blob in the picture is a bag of trash...just sitting in the kitchen. I am a domestic goddess!)

Now back to the frogs.

They pop out of the flowerpots - making me and the dogs jump with surprise.

They camp out on our front porch rocking chairs (yes, we have front porch rocking chairs...how else do you sit and watch the world go by?)

It's like the plague only cuter.

Sing Us a Song, You're the Piano Man

2008-10-22T13:45:00.004-05:00

I survived the weekend-o-fun. Thanks for the concern. Other than the hour we were missing 5 teenagers in a busy downtown hotel...it was a rousing success.

It's my day off today and that means one of three things is happening. I'm in a coffee shop. I'm shopping for home decor. I'm sitting at home with a service man.

Any guesses?

That's right...it's door number three. Bob, tell them what they've won!

Okay, so you don't win anything but I will share the experience. This story is mostly for my relatives.

It all started way back when. I was in the 2nd grade and my mom taught school in California. Each classroom had a short little organ that they used for music class. I started piano lessons from a strange little old man who used to record our lessons on a cassette tape. I guess so I could listen to it during the week. I would practice on that little organ in my mom's classroom while she graded papers and worked on lesson plans.

We moved to Chicago when I was in the 3rd grade. We lived in an apartment and I took lessons from a seminary student's wife who lived down or up one floor (I don't remember which). I had a key to their apartment and I could go practice even when they were gone. The little old lady that lived directly above them would open her window to hear me play. I can't imagine that my little 3rd grade skills were all that impressive but she was very sweet to listen and encourage me.

We didn't have a piano of our own so with every move, my parents got creative and found me a place to play. My sister took lessons too and decided to build her own piano out of construction paper on the fireplace hearth. I think that's when my parent's decided it was probably time to find a real piano.

My grandparents lived in Idaho and were downsizing to a smaller apartment. They loaded up their piano and drove it half-way across the country to our house in Kansas City. They even brought the painting that always hung above it.

I now have that piano as one of my most treasured possessions. It's moved with me (except to Europe but if I could have figured out a way to do it...I would have.) to my apartment, my condo, and now my new home. I play it nearly every day. During the construction, it was housed by a friend and every day I felt like something was missing (although said friend did let me come over to play it - thanks friend). This piano is my therapy, a significant part of my worship, and my creative outlet.

After many moves and many years (Manufactured in 1951) - it was time for some serious restoration. Several hammers (the part that hits the strings) were broken, several key tops were cracked and yellowed.

All the plastic parts (and there were many) were replaced with maple. All the key tops were replaced with a new finish. She got new felt, new flanges (whatever that means). She's tuned to perfection and restored to her original beauty.

All thanks to this guy. Meet Mr. Piano Man.

He took all the insides out piece by piece (that's what is on the floor). It's taken almost a month to make all the repairs.

Mr. Piano Man and I have spent a significant amount of time together today. It's his birthday. He's 71. He's told me stories about pianos and I made him pumpkin cookies. It's been delightful.

So there you go Robinson family. Just thought you'd like to see this. I know Grandma would be proud.

Happenings

2008-10-10T14:23:00.004-05:00

Just a few highlights from the week in list form to save some time.

* We had four dinners at home this week. That is remarkable for a few reasons. One, we were both home. Two, we were home at dinner time. Three, I cooked four separate, well-balanced meals, with no leftovers. I think it's my new apron. It's blue gingham and very June Cleaver-esque.

* Yesterday afternoon I went to the snack shop to get a can of root beer (it was that or chocolate chip cookies and I'm working really hard at not eating junk or drinking caffeine - hence, the root beer). When the cashier rang it up, my total was $5,029.60. She said my total out loud before she realized that probably wasn't right.

*I bought a new phone on Wednesday - it's shimmery pink. John says it's the girliest thing he's ever seen. Yes, yes it is.

Behold...

* My husband cleaned up dinner dishes and did laundry last night. Now that's hot!

* I'm spending the next 24 hours with 24 teenagers inside a water park. Lord help me!

You're now caught up. Thank you all for the well-wishes and good thoughts. We feel them!

Bike Tour '08 - Final Summary and a Video

2008-09-15T14:17:00.005-05:00

Here's a video I took of the race in Jefferson City. A lot of people have asked if John was participating in "The Race" (referring to the Tour of Missouri). This video proves that we are in fact just spectators.

We made it home safe and sound (albeit a little soggy) on Saturday. John and Chad rode about 40 miles from Sedalia to Clinton, MO in the rain. It was quite the accomplishment and I've very proud that they stuck with it despite the weather.

Carrie - look away from the screen - you're not gonna like this!

Here's a snake on the path.

Check Katie's blog for more pictures. Thus concludes the great Bike Tour of '08. Thanks for checking in.

Bike Tour '08 - Day Four

2008-09-12T21:11:00.013-05:00

There's been a slight change in plans. We're now in Sedalia, MO after spending yesterday in Rolla, MO (John's College Town). We're living like nomads as we follow different stages of the race. John and Chad rode into Rocheport Wednesday afternoon after riding 25 miles from Pilot Grove. Here they are riding into town. Yesterday we started the day in Rocheport, MO with some shopping and breakfast and made our way to Rolla, MO to see the finish of Stage Four. Here's the current leader (in the yellow jersey). Christian Vande Velde of Team Garmin. The big finish We made our way that night to St. James, MO where we stayed a the Valley View Cabin surrounded by fog and rain. We had a great big breakfast at Diana's Diner in St. James and ventured up the hill for the "King of the Mountain" (first biker up the "mountain" gets the most points). The bikers raced by our blanket on the shoulder of the highway and we loaded up the car to get to Jefferson City, MO to see the finish. We're now in Sedalia, MO in this historic hotel. Katie and I will drive home tomorrow and John and Chad will bike along the Katy Trail.

Bike Tour '08 - Day Two

2008-09-10T08:44:00.004-05:00

It's the beginning of day two. The boys are probably still sleeping. I haven't heard from them yet this morning. Last night the plan was to spend a lot of time swinging on the front porch swing at Aunt Polly's (The B&B).

Check here for the play-by-play on Day One.

I'll try to keep this post updated today but I'm not sure how much internet access we'll have. Today is a short bike ride (just a couple of hours) to Rocheport. We should all be there by lunch time. We're staying here tonight.

Bike Tour '08

2008-09-09T11:10:00.012-05:00

Today begins the great bike tour of 2008. John and his friend Chad are biking along The Katy Trail to see different legs of the Tour of Missouri. Garmin is the title sponsor of a bike team (who from here on out will be referred to as "the professionals" - at least by me. John will probably use the more respectful title of "Team Garmin"). This same bike team participated in the Tour de France. John worked on the GPS product used by the professionals.

Here's the plan:
Day One - John and Chad will bike from Clinton, MO (The start of the second leg for the professionals) to Pilot Grove, MO - that's 61 miles for those keeping track at home.

Day Two - Pilot Grove, MO to Rocheport, MO. Katie and I will meet them there after a grueling 2 hour ride in a car with air conditioning and cruise control. The wives are all about making sacrifices to support our husbands.

Day Three - We'll drive to Jefferson City, MO to catch the start of the third leg for the professionals.

Day Four - This is a rest day in Rolla, MO where I will get to see John's alma mater and frat house (I'm honestly frightened about this particular activity). We'll decide whether to see the start, middle, or finish of the professional race. Kim and Katie drive home (4 hours this time - Phew! I hope we can make it!). John and Chad bike From Rocheport, MO to Boonville, MO (No - I did not make up that name. That's the real name of the town).

Day Five - John and Chad bike from Boonville, MO to Clinton, MO where they will reunite with their four-wheeled vehicle and drive home...tired, sore, and happy.

I asked John to send updates on their progress and will post those updates here. Check back often to see how they're doing.

Trip Journal:

Journal Entry #1. "The time is 11:02am. Just finished watching the race start. Chad and I are headed to the Clinton Community Center to park the truck, change clothes, and hit the trail. Final Destination – Pilot Grove, MO 61 miles. Chad’s supply of gummy bears is holding up so far."

"12:19 pm - Journal entry: Brutal Headwind" (said out of breath and gasping)

"12:35pm - Wind less now. More trees. Total distance so far 5.5 miles."

"1:09pm - Tried to stop for lunch at Calhoun. Both the 'Jug Town Feed' and the 'Whistle Stop' were closed. We will continue on to Windsor."

"2:33pm - We just finished eating in Windsor. Country Fried Steak, homemade *something* salad, mashed potatoes and gravy. Back out on the trail after a rest." (The cell coverage is limited so he kept cutting out - I think this is close to what he said. I listened to the message several times and couldn't figure out what kind of salad they had - but I'm pretty sure we can all live without that information.)

"3:19pm - We’ve gone 25 miles so far. We are coming up to Greenridge. The head wind is back. However we did cross over the highest point of the trail so supposedly it’s all downhill from here. We met four bikers just outside of Windsor that are following the race too. They’re celebrating their 60th birthdays together."

"7:25pm - Kim I NEED SOME INSPIRATION! We have 3.5 miles to go. Oh, there's a tunnel coming up - I didn't know it was there. Chad says he wants to sleep in the tunnel."

"8:02pm - We're here. Phew. We're staggering down the street looking for the best pizza ever made. We look like we're drunk (I assure you they were not!). The word on the street is that the Casey's Station has the best homemade pizza (I think it's because so many people bike to it that after 61 miles on a bicycle - gas station pizza does taste like the best pizza ever.) Aunt Polly's is great (that's the B&B they're staying in tonight). She has beds."

Ch...Ch...Ch...Changes

2008-09-04T11:38:00.004-05:00

This will only mean something to the locals.

It's offical. I've gone from this...

to this...

I do feel different.

Adventures in the Workplace

2008-08-26T14:50:00.003-05:00

The line for the ladies room was quite long when I arrived. I opted to go down one floor and use that one. No one was there and I marched right in.

I - ahem - sat down and glanced at the back of the stall door. There was a plaque near the latch that simply had the manufacturer's name etched in the metal. The company's name is "Hiney Hiders".

I thought it was funny and giggled right there in the stall. I laughed more when I thought about working in their office. "Hiney Hiders this is Kim, how may I direct your call?"

Fancy-Pants Taste...Shoestring Budget

2008-08-20T15:49:00.012-05:00

With the house well on it's way to being complete...it's time to put things in it. We don't need a lot but a few items here and there to finish off a space or complete "the look".

Here are a couple projects I've been working on. It's amateur work at best but works for what we need. I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

First up...my $7 table. There are a hundred places I wanted a little table. I scoured flea markets and found this beauty.

Okay...so it needs some lovin'. It's okay. I have love to give.

Coat of primer, two coats of paint, and a piece of wood to fill in that hole...

Viola!

It's cute and I like it. I'm still debating it's placement but I'm sure I will find the perfect spot.

Project #2...

I wanted a headboard for our bed but couldn't find one I really liked and with the pricetag I wanted.

"Hey!" I thought, "What about that fireplace mantle in the basement?"

You see...several months ago our friends remodeled their living room. They removed a giant mirror that was over their fireplace (which they also removed). We had the mirror re-cut for our master bathroom. While picking up the mirror, they said, "Do you want that mantle? We're just gonna throw it out on big-trash-day tomorrow." We took it thinking maybe we could sell it at a garage sale or maybe use it someday when we put another fireplace downstairs in the basement.

The wheels started spinning and after many minutes of measuring and calculating, work on the mantle headboard began.

I didn't get a true "before" picture because I forgot. I was just so excited to get started. Imagine this is white instead of primer grey.

We added two painted boards to the middle.

And Voila!

A grown up bed!

Same Size Cabin in the Woods...With a Woman's Touch!

2008-08-18T09:39:00.018-05:00

Here are the long awaited pictures of what has now become our home. Some of them are dark and all of them are rather golden. I took them late last night because for some reason I only think about taking pictures of the house at night. It makes it look warm don't you think?

Sit back, relax, and remember to keep your hand and arms inside the car at all times.

The Entry - (How do you like my chair Aunt Marilyn? I thought of you when I found it! Update - Aunt Marilyn liked my chair.)

The Living Room - Bonus points if you can tell me what's hiding in the bottom left corner of this picture. (Update: Good Job Aunt Marilyn - you were the first to guess. It is a saddle. My parents were borrowing it as decoration for a dinner but it was dusty and cobwebby...so I polished it. I wanted to watch the Olympics so I set it up in the living room. I tried to get it out of the picture but it snuck back in. It's not usually stored in the middle of the living room floor. 100 bonus points for you.)

We used this old ladder during construction...as a ladder. I told everyone to be careful with it because someday it would be a blanket and magazine rack. That day is finally here my friends. Behold!

The Dining Room

The Kitchen

This is one of our favorite features of the kitchen. We had shelves installed in place of a cabinet.

Your Room (Guest Room)

Still in the guest room. These are cool shelves my talented husband built. They appear to be built-in bookshelves. They actually have a hinge and swing in so you can access the attic/crawl space. They're like the secret passage way shelves you see in movies that reveal a room full of spy equipment. We'll probably only have Christmas decorations but it's still cool.

The Loft - we haven't quite decided what to do with this room yet so for now it houses our extra couch.

Master Bedroom

And here's my very talented husband relaxing in the house he built. Take note of that headboard and stay tuned for my first installment of "furniture redo" coming soon to a blog near you.

The Master Bathroom

Here's Sheena relaxing in the house she in no way contributed to.

This completes our tour and we thank you for joining us. Please remember to exit to your right only after the blog has come to a complete stop. We hope you enjoy your day here at The Lodge.

2008-08-14T16:22:00.002-05:00

WE PASSED OUR FINAL INSPECTION YESTERDAY!

Praise the Lord!

It is a giant accomplishment. A lot of hard work for a piece of paper with just an "X". But when that "X" is marked in a box next to the word "pass" - it gets centerstage on the refrigerator.

What I Did on my Summer Vacation

2008-08-08T11:11:00.012-05:00

We did not actually take a summer vacation this year. We're okay with it. As much as I enjoy traveling and exploring new places, investing that time and money into your dream house isn't a bad trade-off.

We did get a chance to visit John's parents a few weekends ago. John threw in an overnight trip to Robber's Cave State Park on our way.

Enjoy the pictures.

Here's our cabin at the park. The bed was on the front porch when we arrived. I kinda make fun of the tendency of Oklahomans to store indoor furniture in the great outdoors and I love photographic proof! On this same trip we saw a house with no less than 20 refrigerators in the front yard. I would have taken a picture but we were driving and somehow I don't think John would have stopped...turned around...and let me get just the perfect shot.

Here's John checking out the info on Robber's Cave. It was supposed to have been used as a hideout for outlaws because of it's rocky terrain and isolated locale. There no proof that outlaws actually used the cave. But I could see how they might.

Here's me hiking

Here's me in the cave

John's shadow in the mouth of the cave (is that what you call it?)

We drove onto John's parent's house Saturday morning. We attempted to fish several times over the weekend, but it was just too hot! We waited for cloud cover and were finally able to take the boat out on the pond. We did well despite the 106 degree temp (IN THE SHADE!)

Here John displaying the fish who are headed for the fish pond in the sky!

I love this picture. I know it's blurry but it looks so Norman Rockwell-esque. The sun had gone down by the time we got around to cleaning the fish (and I use the term "we" very loosely!). John's dad is an expert fish cleaner-upper. He rigged up this spotlight so they could see and there they sat...father and son...teacher and student...one generation extolling wisdom to the next. They would probably roll their eyes at how touched I was and say, "We were just cleanin' fish." But I thought it was neat.

We had a great time and got to meet our new niece, Katie Marie, on our way home. This picture was taken when John's parents went to see her (we weren't there). I like this picture a lot too. There's just something about the contrast of the sun-tanned rugged arms of a hard-workin' man against delicate, brand new, pale baby skin. John's brother took this picture.

And finally...here's a picture of John's mom's dog, Marty, which qualifies this post for Pet Pic Friday. She's a lot of fun. She's a herding dog and takes her job seriously. She'll herd you, cows, other dogs, sometimes even herself.

I'll have updated pictures of the house up soon. It's looks quite different than the last time I updated. And at this very moment, it's clean, so I'll try to get pictures before it's all cluttered with equipment again.

Office Bulletin Board

2008-07-31T14:11:00.005-05:00

I've referenced the office bulletin board here before. They're at it again. At the end of every summer they do a board with the theme "What I Did on my Summer Vacation".

After looking at last year's submission...I think next summer we should branch out a little. I think I'm even wearing the same shirt and capri's!

July 2007 - Shaver Lake, California

July 2008 - Robber's Cave State Park, Oklahoma

Stay Tuned for more pictures of our Oklahoma weekend. We really did have a great time and the trips were nothing alike - although you wouldn't know it from the pictures. Jiminy Christmas!

Updates Galore - #3

2008-07-28T13:56:00.008-05:00

And finally we have arrived at our last stop on this update train. Update numero tres.

We took a break from our jobs as house builders one cloudy Saturday morning. Spring, who had been helping us with landscaping (and various other tasks...she's handy that one), went with us.

We picked Strawberries!

Aren't they pretty?

I love the color.

And yummy too. Here Spring is "taste testing". They told us taste testing was free. That's all you needed to tell John. He ate his weight in strawberries.

Our loot! This stash made 8 small jars of jam (That's right! This little lady made jam!) and 8 bags of frozen strawberries that have been used mostly on ice-cream.

I also picked blueberries a while back but I was alone that time and would have felt a little weird taking pictures of myself - or worse - asking someone to take it for me. Nevertheless, those blueberries made a yummy blueberry cake for the 4th of July. It would have been perfect to add strawberries for the red, white, and blue. Which just goes to show that no matter how domestic I pretend to be...Martha I am not!

So there you have it folks. Updates of epic proportions here at chatterbox. The likes of which may never be seen again. I'll try though. I really will.

Updates Galore

2008-07-23T10:46:00.007-05:00

As promised, we're on to update #2 - I know you are all waiting with bated (or is it baited?) breath!

With the house almost done, we have been entertaining more. It's fun to show it off - even in it's half-decorated state. This would be a good time to tell the out-of-towners that the guest room is complete and ready for visitors! I guess we can tell the in-towners too. You're all welcome! I'll even fix you breakfast...as long as you wake up at a reasonable hour. If you rise before the sun...John'll do it.

Anyway, back to my point. Father's Day! We had my parents and sister over for some grilled kabobs. As luck would have it - it poured. I got a good shot of the kabobs on the grill before we had to rescue them from the downpour.

Enjoy the pictures.

The Assembly Line - and our unfinished kitchen island. Eventually there will be tile in that open space, and you know - pictures on the wall.

Like a good Nazarene on a Sunday afternoon. Now that's a happy Father's day! Falling asleep with a crossword on your chest.

Wait...neither one of you are Nazarenes!

Wonder of Wonders...Miracle of Miracles

2008-07-22T15:36:00.009-05:00

At long last...an update. I've returned from my journey into the ancient world of taking pictures with film. That means that you can finally see something interesting on this ye ole' blog. Thank you for your patience and encouraging words while I have been away.

And now, update number one (there are actually three updates on this roll of film and you better believe I'm going to stretch this out and not give up all the blog fodder - mom, that means topic, subject, material, if you will - in one post!)

In May I traveled to Bar Harbor, Maine for a conference. The conference was mediocre and not worth a lengthly discussion. The scenery however, was lovely. It was my first time to Maine, at least that I can remember.

Picture proof that I was there.

Obligatory picture of a seagull

View from our hotel

We went to a lobster feast. I think preparing to eat lobster is really fun but the actually eating part is disgusting. My co-worker loves the taste but thinks the cracking, splitting, gutting part is a crime against lobsters. So we went in with a plan. I shelled - she ate. It worked perfectly, especially because she spent a good portion of the preparation part of the evening with her head under the table - and I had prime rib.

I'd recommend Bar Harbor as a vacation destination - in the summer. We were there "pre-season" so the water was a little cold and not a lot of the tourist attractions were available. It would be really nice if you were outdoorsy and could split your time between Acadia National Park and the quaint town of Bar Harbor.

Coming Soon in Update Number Two - Father's Day at the Lodge.

Irony

2008-07-09T16:39:00.002-05:00

I sometimes audibly huff when I go to someone's blog and they haven't updated.

Flower Fairy

2008-06-25T11:34:00.003-05:00

I picked these flowers this morning and brought them into work. I didn't intend to be secretive about it but when I took them up to the receptionist's desk, she was gone. Now no one knows who brought them. Everyone is chatting about who the flower fairy is. Hee Hee!

Shh...don't tell!

Side note: I'm so glad we're all past the phase in our lives when we would have assumed they were from some creepy secret admirer. Flowers are hard to enjoy when you have to figure out who you might have been extra nice to but maybe shouldn't have. Take note my single guy friends - all two of you that read this blog. Give a girl flowers. We like that. But please just tell us who you are. Secret admirers are not as fun in real life as they are on tv...or maybe that was just me. Not that it happened often. I was just usually more scared than excited. And while we're on the topic, here's another tid bit of free advice on wooing a girl. When repeatedly leaving sappy country love songs on a girl's voicemail, it's also best to reveal yourself. If you don't, you will cause said girl great anxiety that might even involve reporting you to the police. Huh? I wonder what ever happened to that guy?

Pet Pic Friday

2008-06-20T10:03:00.005-05:00

It's the return of Pet Pic Friday! I know you're excited. For those of you new to the blog. This used to be a semi-regular feature before I took on a second job as a house builder. See previous pet pic posts here , here, here, here, here, and here.

This week features Sheena's new life at the lodge. She was a little slow in accepting her new country life but seems to be adjusting nicely. She is now leash-less most of the time but not without parental supervision (except for a couple nights ago when I was so annoyed with her disobedience that I decided to just let the hawks have her...John took over the parenting at that point...lucky for her).

Anyway...back to the pictures.

Here's Sheena meeting the donkey down the street. That's right people, I said donkey down the street. Truth be told, these neighbors also have a goat. The house in between has three horses, three dogs, and two sheep. It's a regular zoo out here. There's lots of animals too. (bada bing!)

I call it "Well Hello Neighbor"

This is when we discovered that using the deck like a cage was not going to work.

I call it "Escape Artist"

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

2008-06-13T16:06:00.005-05:00

We lost our dog last weekend. He's a country dog so he wanders aimlessly around the countryside, spending time with his country dog friends. He goes to his friend's house and sometimes his friends come here. I imagine during the day they nap together, jump in ponds together, and from the smell of it...chase some skunk together. We give him the freedom to roam where he pleases. So it's not all that suprising when we don't see him for a few hours.

Last weekend however, he was missing overnight, which isn't normal. John asked if anyone had seen him around. We hadn't. I commented that he hadn't come home last night. We shrugged our shoulders and went about our work of planting the front flower bed.

Side note: Here's us planting the front flower bed. That's Spring. She's our landscaper. Okay, not really...she's our friend who also happens to know a lot about plants. She knows about spacing and light and when plants look healthy or sick. She's also very good at digging up irises, which makes her a-okay in my book. She took hundreds and hundreds of them last weekend.

Anyway, back to business. Suddenly Spring says, "There's Carhartt!" John calls for him but he does not come. We don't hear the familiar jingle of his tags. Where on earth is he? Spring points towards the east, "In the window," she says.

And then we saw him.

That's our neighbor's barn. He was locked inside. We're not sure how long he'd been there, but at least a day. He'd probably been in that window quite awhile thinking..."Why don't they see me?"

The neighbor's weren't home so it took awhile to rescue him. Carhartt is rather fond of the neighbors and they have taken good care of him while we were not living here. I'm sure he was hanging out with Mr. Neighbor and fell asleep...getting locked inside. John got him out using the old credit card in the door trick.

Carhartt spent the rest of the day looking rather proud of himself that he knew enough to sit in that window...willing our attention. He also drank a lot of water.

Thank you Spring for helping us with all our living things, plant and animal.

Our Version of "You Pick" Flowers

2008-06-09T09:38:00.005-05:00

I'm not giving my address out over the internet so this post is just for our closest and dearest friends, who already know where we live.

We're thinning out our iris population and there are lots to share.

So here's what you do:

Step 1: Be our friend
Step 2: Know where we live
Step 3: Come any time, day or night, with a plastic/paper bag
Step 4: Find an iris anywhere along the driveway. Please start at the plants closest to the road. Irises look like this

(photo by Spring)
Step 5: Pull from the base of the plant - the plant and bulb should come out. If it doesn't, dig around a bit and the bulb will pop right out. They are not difficult to dig up. There should be some wiggly roots shooting off the bulb - that's good, you want that.
Step 6: Take them to your house, your mother's house, you're neighbor's house, etc.
Step 7: Cut leaves down to about 5 inches - it will look like a fan.
Step 8: Break the old bulb, with no wiggly roots, off
Step 9: Dig a hole where you want it
Step 10: Insert bulb
Step 11: Wait
Step 12: Enjoy